Miami Beats New York And San Francisco For 3rd Worst Traffic In The U.S., According To New Study
If you’ve ever sat in the Palmetto during rush hour, you don’t need us to tell you how frustrating Miami traffic can truly be. And it appears something we all thought was already true is being backed up by data – the Magic City officially has the third worst traffic in the country!
A new study by consumer research firm ConsumerAffairs determined which American cities have the worst traffic by looking at average commute times, hours of congestion and frequency of fatal car crashes from 50 of the most populous metro areas.
Why is Miami’s traffic 3rd worst in the nation?
Being ranked this highly for traffic may or may not shock the average Miamian, but it is a pretty significant jump from last year, in which the city ranked 12th on the same list.
Per the 2025 study, the average daily commute time in Miami is just over 29 minutes, adding that the average worker spends more than 6 and a half hours in traffic on a typical weekday! Over the course of a year, that adds up to 70 full days lost to gridlock. Additionally, research indicates that heavier traffic (a.k.a. slower speeds) tends to reduce the likelihood of fatal crashes during peak morning and evening hours. But when it comes to Miami, the city ranks 11th worst for fatal car crash rates, performing below the national average for this metric.
What are the top 10 cities with the worst traffic?
It appears that cities with the worst traffic in the U.S. are among those with higher levels of economic activity, according to the study. They are as follows:
- Washington, D.C.
- Los Angeles, CA
- Miami, FL
- San Francisco, CA
- Atlanta, GA
- New York City, NY
- Houston, TX
- Seattle, WA
- Baltimore, MD
- San Jose, CA
You can read the full study here.
