In this article, we will be taking a look at the 20 most congested cities in North America. You can also check out 35 Most Congested Cities in the World.
Global Traffic Management Market: Growth, Challenges, and Regional Insights
The global traffic management market is projected to grow from USD 42.3 billion in 2023 to USD 72.5 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 11.4%, per Markets and Markets. The traffic management industry is a big one in the US, where major companies like Cisco, IBM, Siemens, and others are involved. By 2033, the US is anticipated to hold a significant 25% market share in the worldwide traffic management industry. To lessen traffic and improve road safety, the nation makes significant investments in traffic control technologies. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.03%, the global integrated traffic systems market is expected to reach $66.14 billion by 2032 from $28.05 billion in 2022.
According to a recent CDC analysis, road accidents claim 1.35 million lives worldwide each year or about 3,700 deaths per day. These accidents include automobile, bus, motorbike, and bicycle fatalities. Estimated to be the seventh leading cause of death worldwide by 2030, with an astounding financial burden of $1.8 trillion. Interestingly, the death rate from crashes is three times greater in low-income nations. Over $300 billion is spent on traffic congestion in the US each year; in 2017, Los Angeles alone incurred $19 billion in expenditures.
Due to reduced commute times per 10 km, Dublin almost missed out on the title of most crowded city in 2023, although topping the global congestion records. There are serious traffic problems in other places, such as Mexico City, Lima, Bengaluru, and Bangkok. In the meantime, traffic in New York City was heavy and took almost twenty-four minutes for a six-mile trip; in contrast, Detroit was found to be among the easiest cities to travel through, taking less than nine minutes. Beyond the amount of traffic, other factors that affect travel speeds include the quality of the road and topographical elements like hills and rivers. For example, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research study, while Nashville, Tampa, Austin, and Houston are among the most congested cities in the world, they also score in the top 10% for commute time efficiency.
Tech Giants Combat Traffic Congestion with Innovative Solutions and Robust Financial Performance
Traffic congestion is being addressed by tech companies such as Conduent Incorporated (NASDAQ: CNDT) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) with their Google and advanced analytics services, respectively. Drivers can report incidents for real-time updates on Waze, operated by Google. With tools like UberX Share, Uber (NYSE: UBER) encourages ridesharing and lessens the number of single-occupant vehicles on the road.
Through the provision of real-time updates to users, Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) crowdsourced data-powered Google Maps efficiently reduces travel congestion. It forecasts traffic patterns with the use of sophisticated machine learning, which helps academics and policymakers. Precise traffic data is guaranteed worldwide by Google’s dedication to improving its AI algorithms and collaborations with research centers such as DeepMind. Notwithstanding difficulties in the internet advertising space, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) revealed robust earnings in Q1 2024, with $69.79 billion in revenue and an approved $70 billion share repurchase. With sales of $7.45 billion, Google Cloud proved profitable.
Conduent Incorporated (NASDAQ: CNDT) is also tackling urban traffic congestion, with cutting-edge transportation management techniques including tolling, congestion pricing, and transit connections. To improve mobility and lessen traffic, they employ human-centered design and cutting-edge imaging technology, placing a focus on data-driven and environmentally friendly tactics that advance social justice. Conduent is well-positioned to serve public sector transportation agencies, enhance passenger experiences, and lower emissions and congestion thanks to its excellent financial performance, which includes $953 million in revenue in Q4 2023 and $3,722 million in revenue for the whole year.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Our Methodology
For our methodology, we have ranked the most congested cities in North America based on hours lost per driver in 2022. For the accuracy of data, we relied on Inrix’s 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard.
Here is our list of the 20 most congested cities in North America.
20. Austin, Texas
Hours Lost per Driver: 53
Austin, Texas is one of the most congested cities in North America, and its roadways rank among the worst in the state. According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s annual report, Austin’s I-35 segment from US 290 West and Ben White Boulevard to US 290 East was the fourth most congested roadway in Texas in 2022, costing motorists over $210 million annually.
19. Denver, Colorado
Hours Lost per Driver: 54
The average travel delay per household in Denver was 11 minutes per day in 2022, totaling 3,773 hours annually. By 2050, the drcog.org projects that average travel delay per household would increase to 23 minutes per day, or 7,621 hours annually – a 109% increase from 2022. In 2022, 13% of travel time on Denver’s major roads was spent in delayed conditions, which is expected to rise to 22% by 2050. The total cost of traffic delays in Denver was $3.88 million on an average weekday in 2022, projected to reach $8.07 million per weekday by 2050 – a 108% increase.
18. San Diego, California
Hours Lost per Driver: 54
San Diego is one of the most congested cities in the US. The data from PeMS shows that travel times along major commute corridors have increased significantly during peak hours. The morning (6:00 a.m. – 9:59 a.m.) and evening (3:00 p.m. – 6:59 p.m.) rush hours are particularly congested, with commuters experiencing longer travel times and heavier traffic volumes. According to the SANDAG Highway Hot Spots & Volumes Tracker, the average daily traffic (ADT) at the highest volume location during the morning peak period increased from approximately 27,000 vehicles in 2021 to even higher levels in 2022. Similarly, the ADT during the evening peak period remained consistently high at around 22,000 vehicles.
17. Concord, California
Hours Lost per Driver: 54
According to the 2021 Urban Mobility Report by Texas A&M University, Concord ranks among the top cities with the highest levels of traffic congestion. The city’s major highways, such as Interstate 680 and State Route 242, often become parking lots during peak hours which leads to frustration and increased travel times for commuters.
16. Baltimore, Maryland
Hours Lost per Driver: 55
Some of the most congested highways in Baltimore include I-695 (Baltimore Beltway), I-95, I-83, and I-97, while the most congested arterials are York Road, Reisterstown Road, and Frederick Road. Statewide, Maryland drivers lose $5.8 billion annually as a result of lost time and wasted fuel due to traffic congestion, per TripNet. The yearly cost of driving in Baltimore during rush hour is estimated at $2,465 per driver.
15. Dallas, Texas
Hours Lost per Driver: 56
The Dallas-Fort Worth metro area has 39 of the top 100 most congested roads in Texas, second only to Houston. The three most congested roads in Dallas-Fort Worth are:
- Woodall Rodgers Freeway, from U.S. 75 to North Beckley Avenue
- U.S. 75 from 635 to Woodall Rodgers Freeway in Dallas
- I-35 W from 183 to I-30 in Fort Worth.
Commuters in Dallas face significant delays, with some reporting spending over an hour and minutes in traffic for a 32-mile commute. According to the INRIX report, congestion cost Dallas $3.1 billion in 2022.
14. Portland, Oregon
Hours Lost per Driver: 72
Portland stands fourteenth among the most congested cities in North America. The average travel time in Portland was 14 minutes and 10 seconds per 10 kilometers in 2023, which is 30 seconds slower than in 2022. ODOT reported a 38% decrease in congested lane miles in Portland Metro from 2019 to 2021, dropping from 400 to 246 congested lane miles, per City Observatory. Traffic volumes on I-84 and I-5 in the Portland region were also lower in 2023 compared to 2019, with I-84 seeing a 5% overall decrease and a 3% decrease on weekdays, while I-5 had a 6% overall decrease and a 7% decrease on weekdays.
13. Stamford, Connecticut
Hours Lost per Driver: 73
The congestion on I-95 in Stamford is exacerbated by the high volume of traffic, with approximately 200,000 vehicles traversing the highway daily, double its original design capacity. Additionally, the numerous exits along this stretch contribute to the traffic chaos, as I-95 serves as a shortcut for local traffic.
12. Atlanta, Georgia
Hours Lost per Driver: 74
Commuters in Atlanta spent an average of 74 hours stuck in traffic in 2022. After reaching a low point in 2014, fatal crashes in Atlanta surged dramatically in 2015 and continued to increase in 2016. The city’s location along I-16, known as America’s deadliest interstate, is a significant factor in this trend. Nationwide, traffic jams cost U.S. drivers over $81 billion in 2022, with the average driver spending $869 on time lost and additional fuel costs due to congestion.
11. Houston, Texas
Hours Lost per Driver: 74
Houston is one of the most highly congested cities in North America with around 74 hours lost per driver due to congestion in 2022. The worst day for traffic congestion in Houston in 2023 was a weekday, with the peak rush hour occurring between 5 PM and 6 PM. In 2022, the Houston Police Department reported 257,755 total traffic stops, equaling more than 700 traffic violations daily. The report also reveals that on streets with a 30-mph speed limit, nearly 17% of drivers exceed the speed limit by 6 mph or more. On streets with higher speed limits, such as 35 mph, the percentage of drivers exceeding the speed limit increases, with 46% going 6-10 mph over and 9% going 11 mph or more over the speed limit.
10. New Orleans, Louisiana
Hours Lost per Driver: 77
The poor condition of roads in New Orleans contributes to a higher rate of traffic accidents. A study reports that 12% of the city’s bridges (89 out of 772) are structurally deficient, and 39% of the major roads are in poor condition. These factors likely play a role in traffic crashes, which cost New Orleans drivers an estimated $508 annually.
9. Washington. D.C.
Hours Lost per Driver: 83
Washington, D.C. is consistently ranked as one of the most congested cities in the US. On average, D.C. drivers lost 83 hours to traffic congestion last year, equating to nearly $1,400 based on the federal government’s value of time. Regarding fuel costs, the typical D.C. commuter spent $850 on fuel in 2022, up from $650 in 2021, an increase of over $200 due to higher gas prices.
8. San Fransisco, California
Hours Lost per Driver: 97
Since 2000, per-commuter congested delay in San Fransisco has increased by about 65%, while population and jobs have grown by only 15% and 12%, respectively. In 2016, 6% of freeway miles driven in the Bay Area were affected by traffic congestion, with San Francisco topping the list of counties with the greatest share of miles driven in congestion at 9.5%.
7. Los Angeles, California
Hours Lost per Driver: 95
Los Angeles is one of the most congested cities in the US with an average of 95 hours lost per driver in 2022 due to congestion. Congestion cost the city approximately $5.2 billion in 2021.
6. Miami, Florida
Hours Lost per Driver: 105
Miami stands sixth among the most congested cities in North America. In 2020, the average commuter in Miami spent an additional $1,100 (as per the Florida Department of Transportation) due to congestion, which includes the cost of wasted time and excess fuel consumption. Collectively, the congestion cost for the Miami metropolitan area was estimated to be around $4.5 billion from 2015 to 2018. In 2021, Miami-Dade County experienced 62,530 traffic accidents, with 22,196 occurring within the City of Miami. Alarmingly, 2022 has proven to be a deadly year, with 221 fatalities and 18,972 injuries resulting from 42,022 collisions as of September 17, 2022.
5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hours Lost per Driver: 114
The average driver in Philadelphia lost a staggering 114 hours to traffic congestion in 2022, which translates to over half an hour per day. The Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) is a major contributor to Philadelphia’s traffic woes, with the worst congestion occurring between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Other problematic areas include I-76 at US-1 during morning and evening rush hours, and I-476 (the Blue Route) between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The congestion in Philadelphia is estimated to have cost the city approximately $4.5 billion in 2022, per Whyy.org.
4. New York City, New York
Hours Lost per Driver: 117
New York City is the city that has the worst traffic in the US. The annual cost of delays in commuting time and work-related travel in New York City is a whopping $9.2 billion, per pfnyc.org. New Yorkers lose an average of 117 hours per year sitting in traffic, costing them nearly $2,000 in lost productivity and wasted time. Over 700,000 vehicles enter the Manhattan Central Business District (CBD) daily, contributing to the congestion.
3. Toronto, Canada
Hours Lost per Driver: 118
Toronto is a city with the worst traffic in North America. In 2022, Torontonians lost an average of 118 hours due to traffic congestion, a staggering 59% increase from 2021. The worst time for traffic in Toronto is Thursdays between 3 pm and 4 pm when it takes drivers more than 30 minutes to travel 10 km. In 2022, Toronto drivers spent a total of $755 on gas, with 77 hours (approximately $155) wasted due to congestion. Toronto is also called the city that has the highest traffic congestion.
2. Boston, Massachusetts
Hours Lost per Driver: 134
According to a report by Inrix, a transportation data company, Boston had the second-worst traffic congestion in the United States and the fourth-worst globally in 2022. The study found that Boston drivers lost an astonishing 134 hours of their lives sitting in traffic last year, a significant increase of 56 hours from 2021 as more workers returned to offices. In 2023, the average time it took to travel 10 km in Boston increased by 20 seconds compared to the previous year.
1. Chicago, Illinois
Hours Lost per Driver: 155
Chicago tops the list for being one of the most congested cities in North America. According to a survey, Chicago drivers increased their gasoline expenses by $288 between 2022 and 2021 when commuting to work. During weekday rush hours, the average speed in Chicago was only 19 mph, compared to an optimal travel time of 27 mph.
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