10 Cities With the Most Traffic Congestion in the U.S., Ranked by New Data
Traffic in America is no longer confined to a predictable morning and evening rush. In many major cities, brake lights now stretch across highways at lunchtime, during weekends, and well before the traditional 5 p.m. commute begins.
TomTom’s latest Traffic Index, released in January 2026 using driving data collected throughout 2025, reveals where congestion is hitting motorists hardest. The analysis examined average congestion levels, driving speeds, distances covered in 15 minutes, and the number of hours commuters lost during peak periods.
The ranking is based on each city’s average congestion level, which compares actual travel time with how quickly the same journey could be completed when traffic is flowing freely. That distinction matters because a city can have the highest congestion percentage without producing the greatest annual time loss.
Across the country, traffic conditions are moving in the wrong direction. INRIX separately found that congestion increased in 254 of the 290 U.S. cities it studied during 2025, while more than three-quarters of urban commuters continued traveling by car.
Tampa, Florida
Tampa enters the ranking with an average congestion level of 41.5 percent, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from 2024. Drivers moved at an average speed of 29.8 mph and could cover approximately 7.4 miles in 15 minutes, the longest distance among the cities in the top 10.
Even with its comparatively faster traffic, Tampa commuters still lost an estimated 55 hours during rush hour in 2025. The numbers show how the region’s sprawling layout can allow higher speeds while still forcing motorists to spend dozens of hours trapped in recurring delays.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston recorded an average congestion level of 42.1 percent, but it was the only city in the top 10 to post a major improvement. Its congestion level fell by 2.9 percentage points compared with 2024, suggesting some relief for drivers even though the city remains one of America’s most difficult places to navigate.
Average speeds remained just 17.8 mph, and drivers covered only 4.4 miles in 15 minutes. Boston motorists still lost 83 hours during peak traffic, one of the highest totals in the country despite the year-over-year decline in congestion.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta’s average congestion level reached 44.3 percent, climbing 3.9 percentage points from the previous year. That was the largest increase recorded among the 10 most congested U.S. cities, making Atlanta one of the ranking’s fastest worsening traffic markets.
The city maintained an average speed of 27.9 mph, allowing motorists to travel about seven miles in 15 minutes. However, commuters still surrendered approximately 59 hours a year to peak period delays, proving that wider highways do not always produce smoother journeys.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ranked seventh with an average congestion level of 44.9 percent, up 2.5 percentage points from 2024. Drivers averaged 21.8 mph and traveled about 5.5 miles during a 15-minute trip.
Rush hour congestion cost the average driver an estimated 66 hours in 2025. TomTom also identified Seattle as one of the technology-focused metropolitan areas where midweek commuting patterns remain especially pronounced, as hybrid employees concentrate office trips between Tuesday and Thursday.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago posted an average congestion level of 46.1 percent, an increase of 0.9 percentage points. Traffic moved at an average speed of 19.6 mph, and drivers covered approximately 4.9 miles in 15 minutes.
TomTom estimated that motorists lost 76 hours during rush hour, but another major traffic study painted an even harsher picture. INRIX ranked Chicago as the most congested U.S. city using its own methodology, calculating that drivers lost 112 hours in traffic and faced an estimated individual cost of $2,063.
The difference does not mean that either study is necessarily wrong. TomTom ranks cities by average congestion and standardized peak commutes, while INRIX measures time lost across major travel routes compared with free-flowing conditions.
Miami, Florida
Miami’s congestion level reached 46.8 percent, rising by half a percentage point from 2024. Drivers traveled at an average speed of 21 mph and covered roughly 5.3 miles in 15 minutes.
The typical commuter lost approximately 70 hours during rush hour in 2025. Miami’s position near the top reflects the pressure placed on a road network serving local commuters, tourists, freight traffic, and rapidly growing communities across South Florida.
New York City, New York
New York recorded an average congestion level of 48.8 percent, unchanged from the previous year. It remained the slowest city in the country, with motorists averaging just 11.8 mph and traveling only three miles in 15 minutes.
Drivers lost approximately 120 hours during peak traffic, the highest total among every city in TomTom’s U.S. top 10. That is the equivalent of three standard 40-hour workweeks spent moving slowly, waiting at intersections, or staring at the vehicle ahead.
The city’s congestion pricing program appears to have improved conditions on several major routes, even though overall congestion remained flat. TomTom reported that congestion declined on major roads, while bridge performance improved and some heavily traveled crossings experienced substantial reductions in delays.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco ranked third with an average congestion level of 49.7 percent, an increase of 2.2 percentage points. Its average traffic speed was only 12.6 mph, barely faster than New York, and motorists traveled approximately 3.1 miles in 15 minutes.
Drivers lost an estimated 112 hours during rush hour, the second highest figure in the top 10. San Francisco’s compact street network, steep terrain, dense employment centers, and limited roadway space leave little room for traffic to recover when demand rises.
The city also illustrates the changing nature of the American commute. Instead of eliminating congestion, flexible work schedules have increasingly concentrated traffic on particular midweek days and stretched busy periods across more hours.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu posted an average congestion level of 50.5 percent, increasing by 1.4 percentage points from 2024. Drivers averaged only 17.8 mph and covered approximately 4.4 miles during a 15-minute journey.
Rush hour delays consumed an estimated 85 hours per driver in 2025. Honolulu’s island geography and limited number of major travel corridors mean crashes, construction, weather, or sudden increases in demand can quickly leave motorists with few practical alternatives.
Its second place ranking may surprise readers accustomed to seeing cities such as New York or Chicago dominate traffic discussions. Yet the congestion percentage shows how dramatically normal travel times can expand when Honolulu’s major roads become crowded.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles officially leads the ranking with an average congestion level of 58.9 percent, well ahead of every other U.S. city. Congestion increased by 1.7 percentage points. At the same time, drivers maintained an average speed of 24 mph and covered approximately six miles in 15 minutes.
Motorists lost an estimated 80 hours during peak traffic, fewer than drivers in New York, San Francisco, Honolulu, or Boston. Los Angeles ranks first because its average travel times were nearly 59 percent longer than they would have been under free-flowing conditions.
The city’s traffic burden is likely to receive even greater attention as it prepares for major international events, including 2026 World Cup matches. INRIX has identified Los Angeles as one of the American host cities facing a major test as large numbers of visitors attempt to move through already congested transportation networks.
America’s Rush Hour Is Spreading Across the Day
The latest data suggests that congestion is not simply returning to its old pre-pandemic pattern. Morning traffic has become more dispersed, midday road use has increased, and evening congestion often begins around 3 p.m. before remaining elevated through 6 p.m.
Tuesday through Thursday have become the dominant office commuting days in many metropolitan areas. Fridays are generally quieter, but flexible schedules have not eliminated traffic as much as they have rearranged it.
TomTom calculated its 2025 index using driving speed information covering more than 2.2 trillion miles worldwide. The company found that the national U.S. congestion level averaged 19 percent, relatively low by international standards, even while individual cities remained deeply gridlocked.
For drivers in Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Francisco, New York, and the other cities on this list, that national average offers little comfort. Their daily reality is measured in missed appointments, rising fuel costs, unpredictable arrival times, and weeks of life slowly disappearing behind a windshield.
