Do you realize how much of your time is actually spent when you are stuck in traffic? It sounds frustrating, right? But millions of people around the world have to face it in their daily routines.
When you look across Asia to America, you will see some cities that face extreme traffic problems. In today’s guide, you will know which places are on top of the list for the worst traffic and why these cities have such massive traffic congestion.
Traffic Congestion Definition
Traffic congestion happens when you see too many cars on the road at the same time. You may notice this during peak hours, such as when people go to work & come back home. The roads get crowded and cars move at a slow speed because of more traffic on the road than their capacity.
In such situations, you might get stuck in a vehicle crowd for a long time. This is basically called the worst traffic or traffic jam. Generally, this happens in big cities where you see lots of people driving. Bad traffic can waste your time, make you late and even cause stress.
Most Congested Cities in the World
Many cities around the world are known for their heavy traffic and long delays. In these places, you may have to spend hours stuck on the road every day. Below is a table that shows you the most congested cities worldwide, which struggle with bad traffic on their roads.
Most Traffic Cities in the World
| City Name | Global Congestions Rank | Traffic Index | Annual Time Lost in Traffic | Rush Hour Speed |
| Mexico City | 1 | 52% | 152 Hours | 31 Min 53 Sec |
| Bangkok | 2 | 50% | 96 Hours | 21 min 51 Sec |
| Davao City | 3 | 49% | 136 Hours | 32 Min 59 Sec |
| Kumamoto | 4 | 49% | 149 Hours | 32 Min 37 Sec |
| Bucharest | 5 | 48% | 150 Hours | 31 Min 9 Sec |
| Plovdiv | 6 | 48% | 107 Hours | 27 Min 18 Sec |
| Lodz | 7 | 48% | 110 Hours | 26 Min 6 Sec |
| Bandung | 8 | 48% | 108 Hours | 32 Min 37 Sec |
| Lima | 9 | 47% | 155 Hours | 32 Min 12 Sec |
| Dublin | 10 | 47% | 155 Hours | 32 Min 45 Sec |
| Budapest | 13 | 46% | 110 Hours | 26 Min 33 Sec |
| Barranquila | 16 | 45% | 130 Hours | 36 min 6 Sec |
| Recife | 18 | 45% | 108 Hours | 25 min 30 Sec |
| Sendai | 22 | 43% | 111 Hours | 30 Min 36 Sec |
| Jakarta | 25 | 43% | 108 Hours | 25 Min 31 Sec |
| Manila | 27 | 42% | 127 Hours | 32 Min 10 Sec |
| Izmir | 31 | 41% | 94 Hours | 22 Min 8 Sec |
| Palermo | 32 | 41% | 85 Hours | 21 Min 33 Sec |
| Istanbul | 35 | 41% | 96 Hours | 22 Min 25 sec |
| Caloocan | 39 | 41% | 111 Hours | 30 Min 44 Sec |
| Hat Yai | 41 | 40% | 76 Hours | 24 Min 12 Sec |
| Ankara | 44 | 40% | 91 Hours | 20 Min 15 Sec |
| Medan | 46 | 40% | 111 Hours | 32 Min 3 Sec |
| Edinburgh | 48 | 40% | 94 Hours | 27 Min 24 Sec |
| Geneva | 50 | 39% | 111 Hours | 25 Min 59 Sec |
| Sofia | 53 | 39% | 104 Hours | 26 Min 29 Sec |
| Bengaluru | 65 | 38% | 117 Hours | 34 Min 10 Sec |
| Graz | 77 | 37% | 86 Hours | 25 Min 41 Sec |
| Cape Town | 85 | 36% | 72 Hours | 23 Min 59 Sec |
| Santiago | 89 | 36% | 100 Hours | 23 Min 5 Sec |
| Kyiv | 92 | 35% | 54 Hours | 18 Min 45 Sec |
| Vancouver | 96 | 35% | 86 Hours | 27 Min 3 Sec |
| Rome | 97 | 35% | 103 Hours | 29 Min 59 Sec |
| Mumbai | 109 | 35% | 103 Hours | 29 Min 26 Sec |
| Trujillo | 117 | 34% | 102 Hours | 32 Min 56 Sec |
| Nagoya | 130 | 34% | 74 Hours | 26 Min 31 Sec |
| Brussels | 141 | 33% | 118 Hours | 30 Min 22 Sec |
| Millan | 146 | 33% | 100 Hours | 27 Min 6 Sec |
| New Delhi | 147 | 33% | 76 Hours | 23 Min 24 Sec |
| London | 150 | 32% | 113 Hours | 33 Min 17 Sec |
| Osaka | 161 | 32% | 66 Hours | 34 Min 33 Sec |
| Kolkata | 173 | 32% | 110 Hours | 28 Min 53 Sec |
| Tokyo | 207 | 30% | 82 Hours | 27 Min 15 Sec |
| Hong Kong | 211 | 30% | 71 Hours | 23 Min 30 Sec |
| Paris | 215 | 30% | 101 Hours | 22 Min 58 Sec |
| Brisbane | 239 | 29% | 71 Hours | 19 Min 25 Sec |
| Taichung | 247 | 29% | 71 Hours | 26 Min 37 Sec |
| Calgary | 365 | 23% | 49 Hours | 18 Min 11 Sec |
| Cairo | 432 | 18% | 43 Hours | 20 min 44 sec |
Top 10 Cities With the Worst Traffic in the World
You will find millions of drivers get stuck in traffic jams around the world every day. It’s shocking that traffic delays in some cities can waste over 150 hours a year. Below is the list of 10 cities with the heaviest traffic on earth.
- Mexico City: Most congested city in the world due to lots of cars, old streets and large numbers of tourists.
- Bangkok: This is the second-worst traffic city globally. On average, people in Bangkok lost 96 hours in traffic in one year.
- Davao City: Because of narrow & limited roads and overpopulation growth, this city also struggles with increased traffic.
- Kumamoto: Kumamoto also struggles with heavy traffic. Its motorways are very crowded. Traffic jams are more severe during peak hours.
- Bucharest: Old road layout, construction activities and road repairs mainly slow down traffic movement in Bucharest.
- Plovdiv: Plovdiv has a historic city structure with narrow streets and limited public transportation options for its citizens, which cause the worst traffic.
- Lodz: Presence of many cars, outdated road systems and road works majorly delays traffic on Lodz motorways.
- Bandung: The city has problems like overcrowding, lack of road expansions and lots of travelers. This all impacts the overall flow of traffic.
- Lima: Poor driving habits, weak public transport system and extreme delivery traffic are the main causes of the high traffic in Lima.
- Dublin: Dublin has small streets, many people drive from nearby towns and public transport is available, but not everyone can access it.
Worst Traffic Cities in the United States
In the USA, some cities had old road systems while others had limited public transportation. As a result, drivers have to lose a lot of time in overcrowded traffic. The following are 15 cities where traffic is very high in America.
| City Name | Global Congestions Rank | Congestion Level | Annual Time Lost in Traffic | Rush hour speed |
| Los Angeles | 20 | 43 | 74 Hours | 16 Min 27 Sec |
| Miami | 138 | 33 | 62 Hours | 17 Min 40 Sec |
| San Francisco | 162 | 32 | 84 Hours | 26 min 32 sec |
| Chicago | 187 | 31 | 65 Hours | 19 Min 51 Sec |
| Seattle | 188 | 31 | 53 Hours | 16 Min 54 Sec |
| Houston | 193 | 31 | 49 Hours | 12 Min 49 Sec |
| Atlanta | 199 | 31 | 49 Hours | 13 Min 13 sec |
| Boston | 209 | 30 | 62 Hours | 16 Min 51 Sec |
| New York City | 224 | 30 | 98 Hours | 31 min 6 Sec |
| Portland | 259 | 28 | 46 Hours | 14 Min 22 Sec |
| Pittsburgh | 270 | 28 | 50 Hours | 15 Min 56 Sec |
| washington | 322 | 25 | 59 Hours | 18 Min 35 Sec |
| Baltimore | 376 | 23 | 39 Hours | 15 Min 45 Sec |
| Philadelphia | 380 | 22 | 46 Hours | 19 Min 35 Sec |
| Tucson | 390 | 22 | 26 Hours | 12 Min 37 Sec |
Conclusion
To sum up, we can say traffic congestion is a growing issue in many cities worldwide. You can see how it wastes your time, increases stress and affects daily life. Now you have good knowledge about which cities suffer the most from heavy traffic.
So, always plan smartly and we recommend you use public transport when possible. Furthermore, you must stay updated on traffic conditions to make your travel safer and less trouble.
