Living in the San Francisco Bay Area–one of the worst traffic places–gave me a real appreciation for cities with a manageable rush hour. There is something so mind-numbingly aggravating about being trapped in your car in bumper-to-bumper gridlock.
Driving in cities with bad infrastructure, heavy traffic, poor road conditions, and construction that never ends can affect your quality of life. But, if you’re lucky enough to reside in a city that’s easy on drivers, it could save you some cash and reduce your stress levels.
A recent study compared U.S. cities based on 30 different factors—everything from car prices to gas, insurance, and road conditions. So, whether you’re looking to ease your daily commute or just want to avoid terrible traffic, here are some of the best and worst cities to drive in! It might just make life behind the wheel a little more bearable.
Best: Raleigh, North Carolina
Americans lose as much as an entire work week stuck in traffic–about 42 hours. In Raleigh, though, residents only waste 14 hours dealing with congestion. That’s a huge difference!
This North Carolina capital offers one of the best driving experiences on the East Coast. Curious why it’s so great behind the wheel here? Raleigh is one of the least expensive places to own and maintain a car. The roads are well-maintained, and commutes are quick. Plus, It takes just five minutes to get through downtown!
Best: Boise, Idaho
Safety always comes first when it comes to driving, and Boise, Idaho, is leading the ranks. Accident rates here are around 23% lower than the national average. Plus, Boise’s traffic fatality rate is 21.2 times lower than that of Memphis, Tennessee, the city with the highest rate.
But that’s not all! This Idaho capital has the fewest uninsured drivers and the third-lowest rate of hard-braking incidents. Even parked cars are safe, with the fourth-lowest vehicle theft rate. It really is a driver-friendly city!
Best: Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi consistently ranks as one of the best cities for driving. It strikes a great balance with low costs, low congestion, and high safety. While drivers in big cities like New York and Chicago waste around 100 hours a year in traffic, residents in Corpus Christi only spend about eight hours stuck in traffic.
Safety also plays a big role in its top ranking, with accident rates well below the national average. The city is working hard to make roads safer and more comfortable. They’re upgrading major roads and developing a plan for bikers to share the road.
Best: Greensboro, North Carolina
Ask anyone in Greensboro why they enjoy driving, and you’ll get similar answers: the roads are well-maintained, uncrowded, and fun to drive around.
When it comes to costs, Greensboro scores the highest in the nation for buying and maintaining cars. It ranks 18th for traffic and infrastructure, thanks to low congestion times. Compared to many cities, getting around Greensboro is easy at any hour. It’s no surprise the city is ranked fourth in the country as one of the best places to drive!
Best: Jacksonville, Florida
Driving through Jacksonville, you’ll find beautiful parks, peaceful beaches, and historic riverfront homes—just a few unforgettable sights along the way. But that’s not the only reason it ranks as the fifth-best city to drive in.
Jacksonville also offers affordable car ownership, with great gas prices and low parking rates. Plus, the city has a well-developed road network without many traffic issues, making commutes quicker and less frustrating. Drivers can easily maintain their cars with plenty of repair shops, car washes, gas stations, and parking garages around as well.
Best: Orlando, Florida
Are you scheduling a trip to the theme park capital of the world? Good news—Orlando is one of the best cities to drive in!
Despite being a major tourist destination, traffic congestion is pretty minimal. Even Downtown Orlando offers a smooth, stress-free drive. The roads are wide and well-maintained, and traffic jams aren’t as bad as you’d expect with so many cars around. There are plenty of parking options, with several parking lots and structures and lots of street parking available. Just remember, speeding is taken seriously here, and tickets are handed out regularly to anyone caught pushing the limits!
Worst: Oakland, California
I lived right next to Oakland for years and can attest to it being one of the worst traffic experiences of my life. At any time of day, whether it was lunchtime or the middle of the night, a random traffic jam could add 30 minutes to my drive.
For years, Oakland has had a reputation for unkempt roads and a lack of city funding. According to a recent study, it’s now ranked as the worst city to drive in. This SF Bay Area city also ranks second-worst for car ownership costs and ninth for driving experience, which considers commute distances and time wasted in traffic. Not exactly a driver’s dream, right?
Worst: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
It’s not looking great for Philly, which has some of the highest parking costs in the country and low rankings for traffic, infrastructure, and roadway safety. Many drivers are steering clear, calling it too risky. Narrow, damaged roads and concerns about crime, unsafe pedestrians, and bikers don’t make it any easier.
But maybe there’s hope for the future! The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is working on big changes, like Vision Zero, to end traffic fatalities by 2030, infrastructure improvements, and expanding bike lanes and pedestrian paths.
Worst: San Francisco, California
With a huge population, inefficient public transit, and smaller roads than many other cities, San Francisco makes getting around in your car pretty difficult. As an SF resident for ten years, I tried to avoid driving as much as possible. Its dense infrastructure makes it hard for cars to navigate, and the poor road conditions don’t help either. San Francisco’s roads are some of the worst maintained in the country.
Ranked as the third-worst city to drive in, San Francisco suffers from slow commutes and the highest gas prices around. To make it worse, the Bay Area gets a bad rap for car thefts.
Worst: Los Angeles, California
If there’s one thing Los Angeles is known for besides Hollywood, it’s horrific traffic. Personally, I dread having to drive through LA for any reason because I know with about 99% certainty I’ll be sitting in gridlock at some point.
You’ll also encounter aggressive drivers here—those with road rage and others who routinely cut you off, tailgate you, or refuse to let you merge. On top of that, LA has a high cost of car ownership. However, to be fair, the city is full of auto shops that offer easy access to car maintenance.
Worst: Detroit, Michigan
It’s ironic, but Detroit, the Motor City, ranks as the fifth worst city to drive in, according to a recent study. You’d expect dealerships, repair shops, and car washes everywhere, right? Yet, it only ranks 51st for access to vehicle services, and costs are sky-high.
Car ownership in Detroit isn’t cheap. Insurance rates and gas prices are through the roof, and good luck avoiding potholes. If you’ve ever hit a standstill on I-94 after speeding along, you know exactly what driving in Detroit is like!
Worst: Chicago, Illinois
Who wants to live where drivers spend 155 hours a year stuck in traffic? In Chicago, commutes can drag on for hours due to outdated highways and never-ending construction, creating some of the worst traffic jams in the country.
Driving here means dealing with tricky one-way streets in the loop, dodging pedestrians and cyclists. Potholes can damage your car, while gas and parking costs a fortune. Not to mention, parking tickets are way too common. How much worse can it get?
Source: WalletHub
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