Are you wondering where the worst traffic jams are in the country? Well, it comes as no surprise that New York City ranks first as the city with the highest traffic congestion. Interestingly, most of the cities with the worst traffic congestion are located in the East Coast. Here is a list of the top 15 cities in America with the worst traffic congestion, according to TomTom’s Traffic ranking.
American Cities with the Worst Traffic Congestion
1. New York
New York City is infamous for its heavy traffic. In fact, it’s rated as the most congested city in the entire country. Commuting just 6 miles in the city takes an average of nearly 24 minutes, thanks to the one-way streets/avenues and bumper to bumper traffic!
As a result, New Yorkers spend an incredible 108 hours each year sitting in rush hour traffic, at an average speed of 12 mph.
2. Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C., is the second most congested city in America. To travel just 6 miles in DC, it takes an average of 20 minutes and 35 seconds! This means that residents spend a whopping 83 hours a year sitting in rush hour traffic. To make matters worse, the average speed during rush hour in Washington, D.C., is only 14 mph.
3. San Francisco
San Francisco is notorious for its traffic congestion. In fact, it’s ranked as the third most congested city in America. Driving in San Francisco can be frustratingly slow, driving a mere 6 miles takes an average of 19 minutes and 47 seconds!
This adds up to 72 hours per year wasted by San Francisco residents sitting in rush hour traffic. To make matters worse, the average speed during rush hour is a sluggish 16 mph.
4. Boston
Boston is another East Coast city with some of the worst traffic congestion in the country. It is ranked as the fourth most congested city in the United States. Due to the heavy traffic, it takes about 18 minutes and 30 seconds to drive just 6 miles in Boston.
During rush hour, people in Boston commute at an average speed of 16 mph, which leads to wasting about 72 hours per year sitting in traffic!
5. Chicago
Chicago is infamous for its heavy traffic congestion, which ranks it fifth among the most congested cities in the United States. During rush hour, the average speed of traffic in Chicago is only 16 miles per hour, making it extremely time-consuming for commuters to travel even a short distance.
Driving a mere 6 miles in Chicago can take up to 17 minutes and 13 seconds. On average, Chicago drivers lose an average of 83 hours every year of their life sitting in rush hour traffic.
6. Baltimore
Baltimore’s traffic is notoriously terrible, ranking as the sixth most congested city in the country. During rush hour, the traffic moves at a snail’s pace, averaging only 19 miles per hour. Even a short 6 mile drive can take a frustrating 17 minutes and 3 seconds. Shockingly, Baltimore residents spend 39 hours each year just sitting in rush hour traffic.
7. Seattle
Seattle is another city that struggles with traffic congestion. It is ranked as the 7th most congested city in America. During rush hour, the average speed is only 20 mph, which means that driving 6 miles in Seattle can take up to 15 minutes and 7 seconds. Unfortunately, Seattle commuters spend an average of 53 hours every year sitting in rush hour traffic!
8. Philadelphia
Philadelphia is one of the East Coast cities with major traffic congestion issues. It holds the 8th position in the list of most congested cities in the US.
During rush hour, cars move slowly at an average speed of 20 mph. Philadelphia drivers spend around 52 hours every year stuck in traffic during rush hours. It takes about 15 minutes and 7 seconds to drive just 6 miles in the city.
9. Los Angeles
Los Angeles is known for its heavy traffic and frustrating commutes. It’s considered the 9th most congested city in America.
If you’re driving just 6 miles in LA, expect to spend over 14 minutes on the road. Rush hour traffic is particularly slow, with an average speed of only 18 mph. This means that the average commuter in Los Angeles wastes 86 hours every year sitting in traffic during rush hour.
10. Miami
Miami’s traffic is bad. It is ranked as the 10th most congested city in the US, just behind Los Angeles. The average time it takes to travel 6 miles in Miami is a staggering 14 minutes and 29 seconds, which is equivalent to the time it takes in LA!
Rush hour in Miami is an absolute nightmare, with drivers losing an average of 64 hours every year just sitting in traffic. To make matters worse, the average speed during rush hour in Miami is only 20 miles per hour. Unfortunately, the city’s public transportation system is not up to par, which only exacerbates the issue.
11. Honolulu
Most people are surprised to learn that Honolulu is one of the most congested places in the US. It ranks 11th among the most congested cities in the country.
To drive just 6 miles, it takes an average of 14 minutes and 19 seconds due to heavy traffic. On top of that, Honolulu drivers waste a staggering 65 hours every year sitting in rush hour traffic (when they could be enjoying the beautiful beaches!) During rush hour, the average speed drops down to just 19 mph,
12. Columbia
Columbia, SC is one of the most congested cities in the US. It ranks as the 12th most congested city in the US. During rush hour, the average speed in Columbia is only 23 mph.
If you drive 6 miles in Columbia, it takes 14 minutes and 19 seconds! Unfortunately, drivers in Columbia waste 33 hours every year sitting in rush hour traffic.
13. Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is the 13th most congested city in the US. The traffic is so bad that even driving just 6 miles takes a whopping 14 minutes and 9 seconds, with an average speed of 22 mph. Drivers in Pittsburgh waste about 48 hours every year sitting in rush hour traffic!
14. Denver
Denver is ranked as the 14th most congested city in America. During rush hour, the traffic moves at a sluggish pace of only 21 mph, and it takes about 14 minutes to drive a mere 6 miles.
Unfortunately, drivers in Denver waste approximately 54 hours a year sitting in rush hour traffic.
15. Portland
Portland is ranked as the 15th most congested city in the US, with drivers wasting a whopping 54 hours per year sitting in rush hour traffic. During rush hours, cars’ average speed is 21 mph, which means it takes around 14 minutes just to drive 6 miles.
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