If you live in NYC, Chicago or LA, congratulations—your commute is officially one of the worst in the world. INRIX, Inc., the transportation data and analytics giant, just released its 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard that ranks nearly 1,000 cities across 37 countries for their congestion nightmares. Unfortunately, ten U.S. cities are among the world’s most gridlocked spots.
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New York City claims the dubious honor of second place globally behind Istanbul, with Chicago coming in at third and Los Angeles securing the eighth slot. How bad is it? Drivers in NYC and Chicago lost 102 hours of productivity sitting in traffic jams last year, while LA commuters fared only slightly better at 88 hours.
And it’s not just the usual suspects dealing with congestion—Denver experienced a staggering 19% jump in delays, giving it the title of the fastest-growing traffic nightmare in the U.S.
Nationwide, the picture isn’t much brighter. The average American driver lost 43 hours to traffic jams in 2024—that’s a full workweek down the drain. Factor in the $771 per person in lost time and productivity, and you’re looking at a jaw-dropping $74 billion national price tag.
It’s not just work commutes fueling the gridlock. Nine out of the 10 largest U.S. metros saw a spike in trips into their city centers, with Houston leading at +25%, followed by Chicago (+13%), Dallas (+12%) and Atlanta (+10%). Weekend nightlife is making a comeback, with Saturday and Sunday nighttime trips seeing double-digit increases year over year. Turns out the same strategies cities used to lure workers back downtown are apparently drawing partygoers, foodies and culture vultures as well.
“While the U.S. is still behind pre-2020 levels of traffic, a pullback of remote and hybrid work models, specifically in tech-heavy areas like San Jose, San Francisco and Seattle, brought a large jump in downtown trips, which is a good sign for metropolitan economies,” says Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX and author of the 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard. "The data also shows more economic activity Saturday and Sunday evenings as the downtown core returns to life.”
So the Monday morning grind might not be the only time you get stuck in traffic. If you live in any of these cities prepare for delays when you go out on the weekends too.
Ten most congested cities in the U.S.
- New York, NY
- Chicago, IL
- Los Angeles, CA
- Boston, MA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Miami, FL
- Houston, TX
- Atlanta, GA
- Washington, D.C.
- Seattle, WA