While some people love to drive, everyone hates being stuck in traffic, and commuters who’ve experienced gridlock know that rush hour is anything but speedy.
According to a new report from 24/7 Wall St., some people in the U.S. spend way more time in their vehicles than others thanks to congestion.
24/7 Wall St. compiled data using the TomTom Traffic Index to get a better look at commute times, population density and congestion levels to measure increased driving time.
Their findings revealed the top 10 states with the worst traffic in the US.
Topping the list is New York City, where congestion levels increased 35 percent in 2021. While overall traffic congestion is still down compared to pre-pandemic levels, folks living in the Big Apple lose 80 hours per year in traffic and face an average commute time of 41.5 minutes.
If you have ever driven amid New York, Los Angeles or Miami gridlock, it’s likely no shock that these cities rank in the top three on the list. However, more surprising are the smaller cities that have worse traffic than larger ones.
For example, drivers in Baton Rouge, La., a city with a population of about 224,000, waste more time in traffic than drivers in Houston, Texas, a city of 2.3 million.
Time lost to traffic congestion is measured by comparing the added time it takes to travel a distance during rush hour to “free flow” drive times, which typically occur at night when streets aren’t filled with motorists.
Below, Here are the Top 10 Cities With the Worst Traffic:
1. New York, N.Y.
2. Los Angeles, Calif.
3. Miami, Fla.
4. Baton Rouge, La.
5. San Francisco, Calif.
6. Chicago, Ill.
7. Honolulu, Hawaii
8. Riverside, Calif.
9. Seattle, Wash.
10. Philadelphia, Pa.