Ah, a feeling we know all too well. Photo: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Houston drivers spent an average of a whopping 90 hours stuck in rush-hour traffic last year across the central city area, per the TomTom Traffic Index.
And if you're driving across the metro, you were stuck an average of 56 hours in rush-hour traffic last year.
Why it matters: That's two to three whole days staring at somebody else's license plate, tail lights, and — if you're lucky — quippy bumper stickers.
Reality check: This is unfortunately not a surprise to anyone who lives in the city or commutes to it, but it could be worse.
Drivers in New York (125 hours), San Francisco (116 hours), Honolulu (88 hours) and Boston (86 hours) metros practically lived bumper-to-bumper in 2025.
Zoom in: Houston drivers in 2025 spent 24.5 minutes on a 10-mile drive during the morning rush and about 31 minutes during the evening, according to TomTom.
The city's average congestion level was 40.8%, 2 percentage points higher than 2024.
📧 Readers, what are you doing or listening to in all that traffic? Taking advantage of the Houston Public Library's audiobook catalogue, listening to your favorite radio station, or talking to yourself?
Email us.
Go deeper: Look at a map to see where traffic is worst.
