Atlanta ranks No. 45 in study of best/worst cities for driving
Atlanta ranked 45th in WalletHub driving survey
Atlanta’s rush-hour traffic can test drivers’ patience, but a new WalletHub study places the city near the middle of the pack for overall driving conditions. Atlanta ranked 45th in the financial website’s 2026 Best & Worst Cities to Drive In report, released Oct. 6. The rankings run from best to worst, making Atlanta the 45th-best city among the 100 evaluated.
ATLANTA - Atlanta’s rush-hour traffic can test drivers’ patience, but a new WalletHub study places the city near the middle of the pack for overall driving conditions.
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What we know:
Atlanta ranked 45th in the financial website’s 2026 Best & Worst Cities to Drive In report, released Oct. 6. The rankings run from best to worst, making Atlanta the 45th-best city among the 100 evaluated.
How Atlanta ranked
WalletHub evaluated 30 measures across four categories: ownership and maintenance costs, traffic and infrastructure, safety, and access to vehicles and maintenance.
Atlanta ranked 34th for costs, 51st for traffic and infrastructure, 87th for safety and fourth for access to vehicles and maintenance.
The study evaluated cities within their boundaries, excluding surrounding metro areas.
Best and worst cities for driving
Scottsdale, Arizona, took the top spot, followed by Boise, Idaho, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Philadelphia finished last. Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York rounded out the four lowest-ranked cities.
Atlanta drivers weigh in
What they're saying:
The findings drew mixed reactions from viewers during a discussion on FOX 5 Atlanta’s "Good Day Atlanta."
Tommy questioned whether the researchers had experienced Atlanta traffic, pointing to recurring delays on Interstate 75.
Hap identified inconsiderate merging and drivers paying more attention to their phones than their vehicles as two major problems.
Heather said Atlanta deserved a worse ranking, though her experiences in Philadelphia and Scottsdale lined up with those cities’ placements.
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