Utahns are spending more time stuck in traffic
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It's not just you: Utahns are spending more time than ever stuck in traffic, a new report finds.
Why it matters: The findings put some hard data behind a common feeling among many drivers: Traffic has gotten worse — or at least different — since the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the numbers: Salt Lake commuters spent 58 hours per year stuck in traffic in 2024, per the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's 2025 Urban Mobility Report.
- That's still below the national average of 63 hours, but it's up 12 hours from 2019.
Zoom out: In St. George, snarl time more than doubled, from 12 to 31 hours per year — the 47th-biggest jump of nearly 325 metros studied.
- Ogden similarly spiked from 14 to 32 hours.
The big picture: Traditional rush hours are returning. Yet, there's been a "noticeable rise in midday congestion," the report finds, possibly tied to remote and hybrid work changing people's schedules and travel behaviors.
- 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."
- Delivery trucks are adding to traffic woes as well.
How it works: The researchers used data from the Federal Highway Administration and INRIX, a transportation analytics firm.
What's next: The report outlines several potential solutions based on local needs, including roadway expansions, better public transportation, new traffic-management technologies and more.
Case in point: Utah officials are looking to widen I-15 from Salt Lake to Farmington.
Reality check: Expanding a highway doesn't necessarily reduce delays, researchers have found.
- Instead, more drivers show up to try to take advantage of the increased supply of roadway, and the traffic problem persists.