If it feels like you’re spending more time behind the wheel than ever, you’re not imagining it. A new ConsumerAffairs study ranked Los Angeles as the city with the worst traffic in America, climbing from No. 2 in last year’s rankings to take the top spot this year.
How long do L.A. drivers spend in traffic?
Drivers in the L.A. metro spend an average of 8 hours and 27 minutes in weekday congestion. That’s the highest total in the country. It’s also 36 minutes more than last year’s study.
Researchers looked at commute times, traffic congestion, and fatal crash rates across the nation’s largest metro areas. Los Angeles came out on top for all the wrong reasons.
L.A. traffic by the numbers
- Average commute: 30 minutes
- Weekday congestion: 8 hours 27 minutes
- Fatal crash rate: 7.09 per 100,000 residents
Here’s how they analyzed the data
Researchers compared the 50 largest U.S. metro areas using three factors:
- Average driving time to work (45%)
- Weekday congestion (45%)
- Fatal car crashes (10%)
Each metro received a score in every category. Those scores were combined to create the final rankings.
The cities with the worst traffic
Los Angeles wasn’t the only city stuck in traffic. These metros rounded out the top five:
- Los Angeles, California
- Washington, D.C.
- New York, New York
- San Francisco, California
- Houston, Texas
The cities with the least traffic
Some cities are a much easier drive. The study found these metros have the least traffic among the nation’s largest:
- Rochester, New York
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
Researchers say many of these cities have shorter commutes and less crowded roads. In some cases, they also have road networks built for larger populations than they have today.
Why Los Angeles ranked worst
The average one-way commute in Los Angeles is 30 minutes. That’s one of the longest in the U.S. Heavy traffic has become part of daily life across the region. But the city is working on ways to improve it.
In May 2026, Los Angeles completed the first phase of the Metro D Line subway extension. The project will connect Downtown L.A. with the Westside and give commuters another option besides driving. It also comes as the city prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.
The new transit expansion could help ease congestion, but for now, L.A. drivers are still spending more time in traffic than anyone else in the country.
