These cities have the worst rush hour traffic, TomTom study reveals

February 28, 2023

Tyson Fisher

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New York City has the worst rush hour traffic in the U.S., according to a TomTom study.

TomTom recently published its 12th annual Traffic Index, which measures rush hour traffic in 389 cities in 56 countries on six continents. In the United States, New York City took the No. 1 spot.

  1. New York City – 24 minutes, 30 seconds (average travel time per 10 km)
  2. Washington D.C. – 20 minutes, 40 seconds
  3. San Francisco – 20 minutes, 30 seconds
  4. Boston – 18 minutes, 40 seconds
  5. Chicago – 18 minutes
  6. Baltimore – 17 minutes
  7. Seattle – 15 minutes, 30 seconds
  8. Philadelphia – 15 minutes, 20 seconds
  9. Pittsburgh – 14 minutes, 30 seconds
  10. Miami – 14 minutes, 30 seconds

According to TomTom’s study, the worst day to travel in New York City last year was Oct. 6, when the average travel time to drive 10 km (approximately 6 miles) was 30 minutes and 30 seconds. Yearly, motorists in New York City spent 111 hours driving due to congestion, which releases more than 200 kg of carbon dioxide. More than $100 in diesel was burned due to congestion in New York City. The worst time to drive in the city is 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays, according to TomTom.

Accounting for all cities in North America, Mexico City earned the top spot for worst rush hour traffic:

  1. Mexico City – 25 minutes, 40 seconds
  2. New York City – 24 minutes, 30 seconds
  3. Toronto – 22 minutes, 30 seconds
  4. Vancouver – 22 minutes, 30 seconds
  5. Washington, D.C. – 20 minutes, 40 seconds
  6. San Francisco – 20 minutes, 30 seconds
  7. Winnipeg – 19 minutes, 10 seconds
  8. Montreal – 18 minutes, 50 seconds
  9. Boston – 18 minutes, 40 seconds
  10. Chicago – 18 minutes

Worldwide, London has the worst rush hour traffic:

  1. London, U.K. – 36 minutes, 20 seconds
  2. Bengaluru, India – 29 minutes, 10 seconds
  3. Dublin, Ireland – 28 minutes, 30 seconds
  4. Sapporo, Japan – 27 minutes, 40 seconds
  5. Milan, Italy – 27 minutes, 30 seconds
  6. Pune, India – 27 minutes, 20 seconds
  7. Bucharest, Romania – 27 minutes, 20 seconds
  8. Lima, Peru – 27 minutes, 10 seconds
  9. Manila, Philippines – 27 minutes
  10. Bogota, Colombia – 26 minutes, 20 seconds

TomTom measured cities by their travel time, fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions.

To see the full list of cities, click here. LL