It’s a common joke in Atlanta: we’ve got the absolute worst traffic. From your morning commute to the dreaded rush hour in the evenings, and of course, random traffic any time of day–Atlanta’s traffic scene can be a nightmare.
And now, the stats are in, and the average commute time of Georgia drivers ranks among the highest in the country. 95.5 WSB reported recently that, “The energy department analyzed 2022 data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the average commute time for workers in each state and the District of Columbia.” And of course, Georgia ranks towards the top.
Where does Georgia rank?
7th place overall! Tied with Illinois.
95.5 WSB reports, “The energy department says that a Georgia driver spent an average of 28.4 minutes for a one-way commute. That is tied for seventh place with Illinois. Georgia’s commute time is also above the national average of 26.7 minutes.”
In front of Georgia are (in order):
- New York
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- D.C.
- Massachusetts
- California.
How does this affect Atlanta?
Of course, most of Georgia’s traffic presumably comes from Atlanta. And if you’ve noticed longer wait times and more traffic, you aren’t alone. 95.5 WSB reports, “Back in August, data provided by the Georgia Department of Revenue revealed that since 2021, there are 165,873 more registered vehicles in Georgia. Even since 2022, the state has added 55,198 cars to the road.”
While this isn’t great news for Georgia commuters, it does help to know that there are huge public transport infrastructure changes coming our way! With the new MARTA station locations announced, we’re already on our way to fixing the problems with traffic!
So settle in with a good podcast in the mornings and evenings, Atlanta, and drive safe on your sadly longer-than-average commute!