If you live or work in Atlanta then you know one thing for sure: our traffic is awful. Sitting in traffic for hours isn’t outside of the ordinary by any means, but now we have official data. According to a new report by the Annual TomTom Traffic Index, Atlanta’s traffic congestion is one of the worst in the country. Keep scrolling to learn more.
Where does Atlanta rank on the list of the worst cities for congestion?
Atlanta ranks #8, just ahead of Boston for worst congestion. Here are the top 10 worst cities for traffic congestion:
- Los Angeles
- Honolulu
- San Francisco
- New York City
- Mimai
- Chicago
- Seattle
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Tampa
And when it comes to growing congestion? Atlanta actually beats all the rest (unfortunately). Atlanta’s congestion rate has increased 3.9pp since 2024. The next highest rate of increase is in Seattle, which increased by only 2.5pp.
Atlanta’s stats
TomTom’s report details that Atlantans lose an average of 59 hours every single year just sitting in traffic during rush hour in the morning and evening.
The report also indicates that Atlantans can only move about 7 miles every fifteen minutes, at an average of 27.9 miles per hour during rush hour.
Ralf-Peter Schäfer, Vice President for Traffic and Travel Information at TomTom says (about all cities, not just Atlanta),
As cities grow and adapt, we must address the multifaceted challenges that lead to increasing traffic congestion. The upward trend we see necessitates urgent action in smarter mobility planning, investments in public and shared transport, improved traffic management technologies, and coordinated policies. Our traffic data enables urban planners and policymakers to better understand these interconnected issues and make well-informed decisions that ensure cities remain livable, efficient, and sustainable in the face of growing congestion.
Learn more about traffic congestion in the U.S. and Atlanta specifically on TomTom’s website, here.