Richmonders are spending more time than ever stuck in traffic
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You're not imagining it — Richmond traffic is getting worse, and a little weird, according to a new report.
Why it matters: The findings put some hard data behind a common feeling among Richmond drivers: Traffic has been awful lately, and especially since the pandemic.
By the numbers: The average Richmond-area car commuter spent a record 42 hours stuck in traffic last year, per the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's 2025 Urban Mobility Report.
- That's up from 35 hours pre-pandemic.
- And more than double the time local drivers were gridlocked in the early 1990s.
The big picture: Nationwide, congestion is growing again in many cities after a pandemic-era dip, while driver behavior has also changed, per the report.
- Traditional rush hours are returning. Yet there's also been a "noticeable rise in midday congestion," the report finds, possibly tied to remote and hybrid work changing people's schedules.
- Thursday has overtaken Friday with the highest share of weekly delay — perhaps "because some of the Friday travel is not associated with commuting, whereas Thursday has more of a typical commute pattern."
- Plus, it's getting harder to predict when it'll be busy on the roads, leading to "added traveler frustration," as the report puts it.
Zoom in: Among metros with at least 500,000 residents, the "yearly delay per auto commuter" grew notably between 2019 and 2024 in cities like San Francisco (+31 hours), San Diego (+24) and Miami (+19).
- Yes, but: Some areas, like Boston (6 fewer hours), Austin (-4) and — ahem — D.C. (-15) saw a decrease.
How it works: The researchers used data from the Federal Highway Administration and INRIX, a transportation analytics firm.
What's next: Multiple projects are in the works in the Richmond region to alleviate traffic headaches, including improving the I-64 exits in Short Pump and on Parham Road, and adding traffic lanes on I-95 in Chesterfield, per VDOT.
The bottom line: It's not just you — traffic is the worst now.