Is your city on the list? The world’s most traffic-congested cities

INRIX, a leader in transportation analytics, has just released their 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard, which ranks congestion in nearly 950 cities across 37 countries. The findings paint a stark picture of the time lost to traffic delays, with some cities seeing record-breaking congestion levels.

The city of Istanbul, Turkey claimed the title of the world’s most traffic-congested city, with drivers enduring a staggering 105 hours of delay per year. That’s a 15% increase from the previous year, further cementing Istanbul’s status as a traffic nightmare. The average downtown speed in Istanbul is a mere 15 mph, highlighting just how slow it can be to navigate the streets. With a growing population and increasing car usage, it seems that traffic congestion is only getting worse in this metropolis.

Second place on the list goes to none other than New York City. With an average downtown speed of just 13 mph, it’s no wonder that driving in NYC is often considered a test of patience. The city’s recent implementation of congestion pricing fees in some areas aims to alleviate the traffic woes, but for now, drivers still face significant delays.

In third place is another U.S. city, Chicago. With drivers here losing 102 hours per year due to congestion, it’s clear that the Windy City has major traffic struggles.

While the statistics for these cities are grim for drivers, there is a silver lining. Many of the cities on this list, including New York, Istanbul, and Chicago, are known for their robust public transportation systems. For those looking to avoid the stress of gridlock, taking the bus, train, or metro could be a smarter choice. 

The 25 most congested cities in the world

Here’s the full list of the 25 most congested cities in the world.

1. Istanbul, Turkey
2. New York City, New York, United States
3. Chicago, Illinois, United States
4. Mexico City, Mexico
5. London, Great Britain 
6. Paris, France
7. Jakarta, Indonesia 
8. Los Angeles, California, United States
9. Cape Town, South Africa
10. Brisbane, Australia
11. Bangkok, Thailand
12. Boston, Massachusetts, United States
13. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
14. Miami, Florida, United States
15. Dublin, Ireland
16. Rome, Italy
17. Houston, Texas, United States
18. Brussels, Belgium
19. Atlanta, Georgia, United States
20. Warsaw, Poland
21. Melbourne, Australia
22. Washington DC, United States
23. Seattle, Washington, United States
24. Milan, Italy
25. Toronto, Ontario, Canada