The Worst Cities To Drive In, Ranked (2024)

With more Americans back to work full-time at the office, the roads are increasingly busy.

Travel on the nation’s highways and streets climbed by 2.1% in 2023 to 3.3 trillion miles, setting a new annual record, according to the Department of Transportation.

However, drivers in some cities have it worse than others during their daily commute due to frequent car accidents, heavy traffic congestion, high gas prices and challenges with accessing car maintenance.

To determine which cities are the worst to drive in, Forbes Advisor compared the 47 most populated cities with available data across 15 metrics spanning four key categories: driving experience, safety, cost of car ownership and access to car maintenance.

Top 10 Worst Cities To Drive In

1. Oakland, California

Oakland’s score: 100 out of 100

Drivers in Oakland, California have the worst driving experience out of the 47 cities we evaluated, thanks to its high number of fatal car accidents, steep gas prices and a high average commute time workers face each day.

• Oakland ranks second worst overall for the cost of car ownership.
  • Oakland has the sixth highest average gas prices at $4.52 per gallon of regular gasoline.
  • Drivers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area spend the sixth highest amount on gas due to traffic congestion at $1,642 annually.
  • Oakland drivers pay the eighth highest amount for car insurance on average at $3,680 a year.
• Oakland also ranks ninth worst overall for driving experience.
  • On average, it takes drivers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area 20 minutes and 50 seconds to travel six miles, the third longest time in the study.
  • Drivers in this metro area spend 97 hours a year in traffic, the sixth highest in the study.
  • Drivers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area have the sixth slowest average rush hour traffic speed at 23 mph, as well as the sixth slowest average downtown speed at 12 mph.

Additionally, the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area ranks fourth for its rate of car thefts, with 676.79 cars stolen per 100,000 residents. The area also has the fourth fewest car washes per 10,000 metro area residents at 0.38.

2. Miami, Florida

Miami’s score: 98.74 out of 100

Miami, Florida has high insurance prices, long commutes and slow rush hour speeds, so drivers should prepare for frustration on the road.

• Miami ranks third worst for overall cost of car ownership.
  • Miami drivers pay the second highest amount for car insurance premiums on average, at $4,628 a year.
  • Drivers in Miami spend the fifth highest amount of money on gas due to traffic congestion, at $1,773 annually.
• Miami also ranks sixth worst for overall driving experience.
  • Miami drivers spend 105 hours per year in traffic, the fifth highest amount in the study.
  • Miami has the fifth highest average number of days with precipitation annually (134).
  • Miami drivers have the seventh longest average commute at 33 minutes and 10 seconds.
  • Miami and Portland tied for having the 10th slowest average downtown speed at 15 miles per hour.
  • Miami also has the 10th slowest average speed in rush hour traffic, at 25 miles per hour.

On average, it takes a driver in Miami 15 minutes to travel six miles—the 10th longest in our study.

3. San Francisco, California

San Francisco’s score: 96.57 out of 100

The second California city to make the list, San Francisco drivers not only pay the highest gas prices among the cities we analyzed, but also face achingly slow commutes to and from work.

• San Francisco ranks sixth worst for the cost of car ownership.
  • At an average of $4.72 per gallon of regular gasoline, San Francisco drivers pay the highest gas prices among the cities we analyzed.
  • Drivers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metropolitan area also spend the sixth highest amount of money on gas due to traffic congestion at $1,642 a year.
• San Francisco also ranks seventh worst for overall driving experience.
  • On average, it takes drivers in the metro area 20 minutes and 50 seconds to travel six miles, the third longest time in our study.
  • San Francisco drivers have the fourth longest average commute at 35 minutes and 8 seconds.
• Drivers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area rank sixth in a number of areas:
  • They have the sixth slowest average downtown speed at 12 mph.
  • They have the sixth slowest average rush hour speed at 23 mph.
  • And drivers spend the sixth longest amount of time in traffic at 97 hours per year.

Notably, the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area also has the fourth highest rate of car thefts at 676.79 stolen cars per 100,000 residents.

And drivers in the area may struggle to find a car wash, as the metro area has the fourth fewest car washes per 10,000 residents with 0.38.

4. Houston, Texas

Houston’s score: 96.52 out of 100

Drivers lose an average of 11 hours per year in traffic in the Houston, Texas area. It ranks 12th worst for access to car maintenance, thanks in part to the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area having the seventh fewest car repair shops at 1.89 per 10,000 residents.

• Houston also ranks 12th worst for overall driving experience.
  • Houston drivers have the 11th longest average commute at 30 minutes and 9 seconds.
  • Drivers in Houston tied with drivers in Atlanta for spending the 11th highest amount of time in traffic at 74 hours annually.
  • Houston drivers also have the 12th slowest average speed in downtown at 16 mph.

Additionally, drivers in the Houston metro area spend the 11th highest amount on gas due to traffic congestion at $1,257 a year.

5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia’s score: 96.33 out of 100

During rush hour, drivers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania experience the third slowest traffic speed and spend some of the highest amounts of money on gas due to traffic congestion.

• Philadelphia ranks fifth worst for overall driving experience.
  • Philadelphia tied with New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Boston for having the slowest average speed in downtown at 11 mph.
  • Philadelphia has the third slowest average rush hour traffic speed at 21 mph.
  • Drivers in Philadelphia spend the fourth highest amount of time in traffic (114 hours per year).
  • Philadelphia drivers have the ninth longest average commute of 32 minutes.
  • On average, it takes a driver in Philadelphia 15 minutes and 7 seconds to travel six miles, the ninth longest time in our study.
• Philadelphia also ranks fourth worst in our cost of car ownership category.
  • Philadelphia drivers spend the fourth highest amount on gas due to traffic congestion at $1,925 per year.
  • Drivers in Philadelphia pay on average the seventh highest amount for car insurance at $3,754 annually.

Not an overly green city, Philadelphia has the seventh fewest electric vehicle charging stations with 0.93 per 10,000 city residents.

6. New York City, New York

New York City’s score: 92.64 out of 100

Despite having the highest prices for the cost of car ownership and the longest average commute of all cities we analyzed, New York City, New York only lands at number six on our list of the worst cities to drive in.

• New York City ranks worst overall for the cost of car ownership.
  • Drivers in New York City pay, on average, the third highest amount for car insurance at $4,623 per year.
  • New York City drivers spend the third highest amount of money on gas due to traffic congestion ($1,976 annually).
• New York City also ranks second worst for overall driving experience.
  • At 40 minutes and 8 seconds, New York City drivers have the longest average commute among the cities on our list.
  • New York City tied with Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Boston for having the slowest average downtown speed at 11 mph.
  • On average, it takes a driver in New York City 24 minutes and 8 seconds to travel six miles, the longest in our study.
  • Drivers in New York City spend the third highest amount of time in traffic at 117 hours per year.
  • New York City also has the fourth slowest average rush hour speed of 22 mph.

Another notably ungreen city, New York City has the fewest electric vehicle charging stations out of all the cities we analyzed, with 0.45 per 10,000 city residents.

7. Chicago, Illinois

Chicago’s score: 84.92 out of 100

Chicago, Illinois drivers spend the highest amount of time in traffic among the cities we analyzed, and as a result, drivers spend the most on gas thanks to traffic congestion.

• Chicago ranks third worst for overall driving experience.
  • Chicago tied with New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Boston for having the slowest average downtown speed of 11 mph.
  • Chicago also tied with Boston for having the slowest average rush hour speed at 18 mph.
  • Drivers in Chicago spend the highest amount of time in traffic across the nation at a total of 155 hours per year.
  • Chicago drivers have the fifth longest average commute time at 34 minutes and 30 seconds.
  • On average, it takes drivers in Chicago 17 minutes and 8 seconds to travel six miles, the sixth longest time in our study.
  • Chicago also averages the eighth highest number of days with precipitation, with an average of 126 days annually.

Additionally, drivers in Chicago spend the highest amount of money on gas due to traffic congestion at $2,618 annually.

The city also ranks as having the 10th fewest electric vehicle charging stations at 1.05 per 10,000 city residents.

8. Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta’s score: 84.87 out of 100

Atlanta, Georgia is a dangerous city to drive in, with a high number of fatal car accidents per year.

• Atlanta ranks 11th worst in our category assessing driving experience.
  • At 33 minutes and 9 seconds, Atlanta drivers have the sixth longest average commute.
  • Drivers in Atlanta and Houston tied for spending the 11th highest amount of time in traffic at 74 hours per year.

With 16.36 fatal crashes per 100,000 city residents, Atlanta has the sixth highest number of fatal car accidents a year.

Drivers in Atlanta also spend the 11th highest amount of money on gas due to traffic congestion at $1,257 per year.

9. Dallas, Texas

Dallas’ score: 84 out of 100

The second Texas city to make the top 10 list of worst cities to drive in, Dallas lands on the list thanks to poor commute times, high annual car insurance premiums and a high number of fatal car accidents.

• Dallas ranks 10th worst for overall safety, due to having the 10th highest number of fatal car accidents at 14.85 per 100,000 city residents.
• Dallas also tied with Houston, Atlanta, Fort Worth and Louisville for having the 12th slowest average downtown speed of 16 mph.

10. Portland, Oregon

Portland’s score: 80.83 out of 100

Landing at the bottom of the top 10, Portland, Oregon drivers experience a high rate of car thefts, and many rainy days.

• Portland ranks 10th worst for overall driving experience.
  • Portland sees the second highest average number of days with precipitation (153 days per year).
  • Portland tied with San Francisco and Oakland for having the sixth slowest average rush hour speed at 23 mph.
  • Portland also tied with Miami for having the 10th slowest average downtown speed of 15 mph.

Drivers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metropolitan area have the sixth highest rate of car thefts with 655.70 cars stolen per 100,000 residents.

Additionally, drivers in Portland pay an average of $3.80 per gallon of regular gasoline, the 11th highest amount among the cities on our list.

How Location Impacts Car Insurance Rates

Many U.S. workers drive to work so they should prepare for long commutes, an increased risk of car accidents and added expense to maintain their cars.

Making sure you and your car are adequately covered by car insurance will keep your wallet protected, should an accident occur.

Car insurance not only covers bodily injury, but can cover property damage and damage caused by uninsured motorists. Do your homework to determine how much car insurance you need.

The average cost of full coverage car insurance is $2,150 a year. And as insurance rates keep going up, it might seem impossible to find cheap car insurance. Luckily, there are still companies that offer economical options.

Keep in mind that where you live will impact your car insurance rates, along with a few other factors, including your driving record, age, gender, and how much coverage you select.

Shopping around and getting multiple car insurance quotes can help you find the best, most affordable option.

Methodology

To determine which cities are the worst to drive in, Forbes Advisor examined data for the 50 most populated cities (47 of which had available data) across four key categories: driving experience, safety, cost of car ownership and access to car maintenance.

We considered 15 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights:

Driving Experience - Total Points: 40

• Number of hours lost in traffic congestion per year: 7% of score. Data comes from the INRIX 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard.
• Average speed in rush hour traffic: 7% of score. Data comes from the INRIX 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard.
• Average amount of time required to travel 6 miles: 7% of score. Data comes from the 2022 TomTom Traffic Index and was collected on February 1, 2024.
• Average speed in downtown: 7% of score. Data comes from the INRIX 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard.
• Average commute time: 7% of score. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2022 1-year American Community Survey.
• Average number of days with precipitation: 5% of score. Data comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is averaged from 1991–2021.

Safety - Total Points: 21

• Number of fatal car accidents per 100,000 city residents: 12% of score. Data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For this metric, we took a three-year average, using data from 2019 to 2021.
• Number of car thefts per 100,000 residents: 9% of score. Data comes from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. For this metric, we took a three-year average, using data from 2020 to 2022.

Cost of Car Ownership - Total Points: 21

• Average annual car insurance premium: 8.5% of score. This metric reflects the average annual car insurance premium for a good driver with a 2023 Toyota RAV4. Data comes from Quadrant Information Services, 2024.
• Amount of money spent on gas due to congestion per year: 7% of score. Data comes from the INRIX 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard.
• Average gas prices: 5.5% of score. This metric reflects the average price of regular gasoline. Data comes from AAA and was collected on January 31, 2024.

Access to Car Maintenance - Total Points: 18

• Number of car repair shops per 10,000 metro area residents: 5% of score. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2021 County Business Patterns Survey.
• Number of car washes per 10,000 metro area residents: 5% of score. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2021 County Business Patterns Survey.
• Number of parking lots and parking garages per 100,000 metro area residents: 5% of score. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2021 County Business Patterns Survey.
• Number of electric vehicle charging stations per 10,000 city residents: 3% of score. Data comes from the Department of Energy, 2024.

Population data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 - 2023.