The DC area just ranked No. 1 in the country. But area drivers would gladly pass this honor along to another city. For 2025, Consumer Affairs reports that DC outranked Los Angeles for the worst traffic in the nation.
The study analyzed average commute times, daily hours of congestion, and the rate of fatal car crashes in the nation’s 50 most populous metropolitan areas.
The average commute to work in DC is 33.4 minutes — the longest in the U.S. On an average weekday, traffic congestion lasts more than 6.5 hours. That’s the equivalent of spending 71 days in traffic each year.
One piece of good news: DC ranks in the bottom 10 for fatal car crash rates. The district had just under six fatal crashes per 100,000 residents (the ninth lowest on the list).
Los Angeles fell to the No. 2 spot on the list with an average commuting time of 30.5 minutes. But the city had the highest average length of weekday traffic congestion at seven hours, 51 minutes.
Miami was ranked at the third worst city for traffic, followed by San Francisco and Atlanta.
Feature image courtesy Milan/sotck.adobe.com
