Driving can give you a sense of freedom while on the open road. You feel your hands on the wheel, feet on the pedal, and can go full speed ahead wherever you want. There’s one surefire way to kill that vibe and that is dealing with traffic. If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, you know how frustrating and annoying it can be. If you want to avoid traffic or are just curious how your city ranks, we’ve outlined the top 10 cities with the worst traffic.
Our methodology
To rank the cities with worst traffic, we looked at the 2021 Urban Mobility Report and looked at two primary metrics. We looked at the average delays commuters faced due to traffic as well as excess fuel consumption due to congestion. It should be noted that these numbers are based on 2020 data and there were notable changes from 2019, likely due to the pandemic.
In the report, the metrics are described as:
“Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter—Extra travel time during the year divided by the number of people who commute in private vehicles in the urban area” (info on pg 32).
“Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter—Extra fuel consumed during the year divided by the number of people who commute in private vehicles in the urban area” (info on pg 44).
Based on this data we created the list of cities with worst traffic in the U.S. below.
10. Seattle, WA
The Emerald City, also known as Seattle, is well-known for its stunning geography and its signature Space Needle. It’s also highly ranked for public transportation. Even though it’s a walkable city with robust transportation options, it’s ranked number 10 on the list of worst traffic in the U.S.
Though some people have moved out of Seattle during the pandemic, its population growth has been steady over the past few years. According to Washington State Wire, in 2020 “Seattle’s population increased by 13,800 people to 761,100.”
More people mean more people on the road. According to the 2021 Urban Mobility Report, in Seattle, the Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter was 31 hours. Dealing with more traffic led to increased gas consumption as well, with Seattleites using 13 gallons as part of Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 31 hours
Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 13 gallons
9. Detroit, MI
Detroit’s nickname is pretty apt considering it made it to the list of worst traffic cities in the U.S. Often referred to as the “Motor City”, Detroit used to be the hub for the automotive industry with Henry Ford transforming the area.
Detroit ranked ninth on the list of cities with worst traffic, causing commuters to experience yearly delays of 35 hours. When it comes to excess fuel, drivers in Detroit used 13 gallons in excess fuel.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 35 hours
Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 13 gallons
8. Atlanta, GA and Philadelphia, PA (tied)
Atlanta, Georgia is known for its music scene and Philadelphia as the city of brotherly love and its art scene. Both cities serve as cultural hubs and are tied when it comes to the cities with worst traffic.
Both Atlanta and Philadelphia commuters faced annual delays of 37 hours. The cities were also tied when it comes to excess fuel consumption due to congestion, which amounted to 15 gallons.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 37 hours
Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 15 gallons
7. Chicago, IL
Chicago is known for its brutal winters, sports teams, and pizza. On top of that, it holds the title for the most populous city in the Midwest. Even though Chicago has a well-connected public transportation system, it still has lots of traffic as well.
Commuters in Chicago had an annual delay of 39 hours. On top of that, the extra delays and congestion led to excess fuel consumption of 16 gallons.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 39 hours
Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 16 gallons
6. Dallas, TX
Dallas is known for its BBQ, football and is the 9th largest city in the U.S. It also was home to the first convenience store, 7-11, which you probably know of today. Convenience stores are helpful for drivers on the road who want to grab-and-go with a snack or a beverage in hand. Which could come in handy as you might be sitting in your car for a minute because Dallas is ranked sixth on the list of cities with worst traffic in the U.S.
Commuters experienced an annual delay of 40 hours due to congestion. On top of that, Dallas drivers had 16 gallons of excess fuel consumption due to traffic as well.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 40 hours
Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 16 gallons
5. Washington, D.C.
Our nation’s capital is home to many popular tourist attractions, historical sites, and of course, the President. While the city has many public transportation options, the city also has a lot of commuters who live in the nearby DMV area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia).
Unfortunately, D.C has half a million commuters and has some of the longest commute times in the country, according to NPR. D.C. drivers experienced an annual delay of 42 hours. Those delays led to 16 gallons of excess fuel consumption.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 42 hours
Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 16 gallons
4. Los Angeles, CA and San Francisco, CA (tied)
The Golden State is home to two offenders on the worst traffic cities in the U.S. list. Los Angeles and San Francisco are tied in the fourth spot.
LA is well-known for its beaches, entertainment and music industries, and traffic (no surprise!). San Francisco is a tech town and home to the Golden Gate bridge but like D.C. also has a ton of commuters from nearby Bay Area cities.
LA and SF drivers had annual delays of 46 hours due to congestion. The cities differ when it comes to excess fuel consumption with Los Angeles commuters using 14 gallons in excess fuel consumption and San Francisco commuters using 17 gallons.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 46 hours
LA Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 14 gallons
SF Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 17 gallons
3. Houston, TX
Houston is home to Beyoncé and NASA and is one of the most diverse places in the U.S. On top of that, the city is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. Considering the large population, it’s no wonder Houston is ranked third on the list for cities with worst traffic.
Houston drivers experienced annual delays of 49 hours. All of that traffic plus delays led to excess fuel consumption of 21 gallons.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 49 hours
Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 21 gallons
2. Boston, MA
Boston is one of the oldest cities in the nation, being founded in 1630 by Puritans fleeing religious persecution. Nowadays, Boston is known for Fenway park, higher ed institutions like Harvard, and the Museum of Fine Arts. While Boston has many options for public transportation, it’s also home to lots of traffic as well. That’s why it comes in the 2nd spot on the list for worst traffic cities in the U.S.
Commuters had annual delays that totaled 50 hours — or more than a full workweek. The extra congestion on the road led to excess fuel consumption of 20 gallons.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 50 hours
Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 20 gallons
1. New York, NY
The Big Apple is well-known for its subway system, museums, Broadway and so much more and is the most populous city in the U.S. The city was recently ranked as the top spot for public transportation by Metromile. Unfortunately, as of 2020, it’s also the top spot for congestion as well. It should be noted that rankings have shifted from 2019 to 2020, likely due to the pandemic as Los Angeles used to hold the top spot in 2019.
Drivers experienced annual delays of 56 hours as of 2020. It also takes the top spot for excess fuel consumption due to traffic, using up 23 gallons.
Yearly Delay per Auto Commuter = 56 hours
Excess Fuel per Auto Commuter = 23 gallons
The bottom line
The pandemic has shifted driving behavior as well as reduced the amount of commuters on the road, but traffic is still a big issue in many major cities. Whether your city made it on the list of cities with worst traffic or not, you want to make sure you’re getting the most affordable car insurance coverage out there. You could only pay for the miles you drive plus a low base rate with pay-per-mile car insurance. Check out your free quote to see about potential savings.
Melanie Lockert is a freelance writer, podcast host of the Mental Health and Wealth show, and author of Dear Debt. She’s a cat mom to two jazzy cats, Miles and Thelonious, an amateur boxer, music lover, and needs coffee to function.