Jan 23, 2026 - Economy
Drivers in these cities spend the most time stuck in traffic
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
New York drivers wasted away a staggering 125 hours on average stuck in rush-hour traffic last year, per the TomTom Traffic Index.
Why it matters: That's more than five whole days staring at somebody else's license plate, tail lights and — if you're lucky — quippy bumper stickers.
By the numbers: Drivers in San Francisco (116 hours), Honolulu (88) and Boston (86) spent nearly as much soul-sucking time bumper-to-bumper in 2025.
- "For comparison, drivers in Lima, Peru, in the most congested city in the world, lost nearly 188 hours in traffic," the mapping and location tech company says.
Zoom in: The first year of New York's congestion pricing plan showed results, per TomTom.
- "Major roads saw congestion fall by four percentage points year over year, with the most dramatic declines in Brooklyn (10 points) and Jersey City (eight points), though Upper Manhattan experienced a six-point increase."
The big picture: Worldwide congestion rose five percentage points from the previous year, the company found.
- "Rising levels of congestion globally lead to more emissions, higher fuel consumption, reduced productivity, and growing pressure on urban infrastructure."
