San Diego drivers lost 88 hours to traffic last year
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The average San Diego car commuter is spending a record 88 hours annually stuck in traffic amid changes in when and why we drive, a new report finds.
Why it matters: The findings put some hard data behind a common feeling among many drivers: Traffic has been getting worse — or at least different — since the COVID-19 pandemic.
- That 88 hours lost to San Diego traffic is the most since 1982, when the dataset begins, and it's up 24 hours a year since 2019.
Driving the news: Congestion is once again growing in many cities after a pandemic-era dip, while driver behavior has also changed, per the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's 2025 Urban Mobility Report.
- The report defines such delays as "the extra time spent during the year traveling at congested speeds rather than free-flow speeds by private vehicle drivers and passengers who typically travel in the peak periods."
Traditional rush hours are returning, but there's also 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 delay — perhaps "because some of the Friday travel is not associated with commuting, whereas Thursday has more of a typical commute pattern."
The big picture: It's getting harder to predict when it'll be busy out on the roads, leading to "added traveler frustration," as the report puts it.
Zoom in: San Diego wasn't the only city with a big increase. Among California metros with at least 500,000 residents, the "yearly delay per auto commuter" grew notably between 2019 and 2024 in San Francisco (+31 hours), Riverside (+31) and Concord (+30).
Zoom out: Some areas saw a decrease, like Washington, D.C. (15 fewer hours), Boston (-6) and Austin (-4).
How it works: The researchers used data from the Federal Highway Administration and INRIX, a transportation analytics firm.
What's next: The report lays out several potential solutions based on local needs, including roadway expansions, better public transportation, new traffic-management technologies and more.
- Cities are experimenting with changes to improve traffic flow, and San Diego is still trying to boost transit ridership.
Reality check: Expanding a highway doesn't necessarily reduce traffic delays, researchers have found.
- Instead, more drivers show up to try to take advantage of the increased supply of roadway, and the traffic problem continues.
The bottom line: It's not just you — traffic is weird now.