15 US Cities You Don’t Want to be Stuck in During Rush Hour

In the course of any day, few things are less exasperating than sitting in traffic as if the highway were a parking lot. It's the main reason people arrive at work or at other appointments late; a source of endless frustration. Here are 15 cities in the US with the most delays in traffic, according to traffic experts from the NTHSA. A delay is defined as anything causing a time constraint; it can be a traffic jam, a construction, or an accident.

15. Philadelphia

A city where of the three main freeways, only one is developed and expanded enough to accommodate traffic: I-95 going north and south. The other two are overcrowded and outdated. I-76 travels along the Schuykill river, and is only 4 lanes, while I-676 moves through downtown. Traffic has nowhere to go in this city.

14. Miami

People seem to be leisurely getting stuck in the city taking spot #14. I-95 and state road 826 Palmetto Expressway are consistent parking lots at all hours of the day. Hopefully your AC is working well.

13. Dallas

The I-35 E/I-30 Mixmaster interchange in this city is the source of all congestion and delays throughout the city. The stretch of I-30 east of downtown and the I-635 interchange is best described as hell on earth. It’s Dallas, which takes the #13 spot.

12. Houston

You’re going to be stuck more often than you’re going to be moving along I-10, especially around the I-45 interchange downtown. The I-610 loop doesn’t make traffic better. Houston is so spread out that the state road 8 outerbelt was supposed to bring traffic relief; in that regard it failed miserably.

11. Atlanta

Atlanta takes the #11 position due to the congestion around the connector throughout the city, I-75/85. More than 130,000 vehicles travel this congested 11-mile stretch daily, rated as #1 busiest in the country. The I-285 loop around the city is just as bad; average rush hour speed is just 40 miles per hour.

10. San Jose

For the #10 position, a city where traffic is stuck in a plethora of freeways which, apparently, take you nowhere: San Jose, California. There’s no specific time to avoid as traffic from the San Francisco Bay Area always keeps the freeways at maximum capacity.

9. Boston

Boston is known as a city where walking is easy to do; everything is close by. I-93 is the main artery where drivers can spend 45 minutes idling even though the $6 billion dollar “Big Dig” rerouting and expansion project was completed not long ago.

8. Seattle

The #8 spot is occupied by a city where most traffic occupies one freeway. An 11-mile stretch of I-5 through downtown Seattle was rated the #2 busiest section in the country.

7. Washington DC

It would be an understatement to say traffic is bad in the nation’s capital. I-495, known locally as the Beltway, is always busy, as is I-95. The worst time to avoid is Thursdays between 5:00 and 7:00 pm.

6. Bridgeport, CT

The #6 place is Bridgeport, Connecticut, not too far from NYC. It’s a gateway to the NYC metro area for many commuters, and in turn, a lot of traffic. 100,000 vehicles daily on I-95.

5. New York City

New York City takes the #5 place solely on its outdated infrastructure. There’s no available right-of-way for highway improvements, much less expansion. As a result, there’s nothing that can be done regarding highway improvements. Enough said. It’s a good thing so many use public transportation.

4. Austin

Getting to work is a task in itself in Austin. Only one free highway available, I-35 going north to south. Many other freeways require tolls. As a result, I-35 is always packed; especially in its double decked sections.

3. San Francisco

In the #3 spot is a very popular city in America, San Francisco. Traffic jams on northbound U.S. 101, leading to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and I-80, leading to the Bay Bridge, are abysmal. Southbound U.S. 101 leading to the South Bay Area and San Jose is always hectic.

2. Honolulu

Honolulu is another city where traffic experts agree is terrible for traffic. Its density of 1,850 inhabitants per square mile doesn’t help. A person is stuck in Honolulu traffic an average of 59 minutes; that’s anything but a paradise!

1. Los Angeles

Traffic experts agree that Los Angeles is the top city with the worst traffic. Anyone who has had to drive on I-405 or I-10 through the city can attest to that. I-405 and I-105 around Los Angeles Int’l Airport is an absolute disaster at all hours. Very little to no room for infrastructure improvements on its many freeways. What you see pictured is actually a three hour time-lapse composite of the highway at peak hours.