Atlanta traffic cracks top 5 worst in the nation, study says

article

Atlanta traffic

ATLANTA - If you’ve ever sat through three red lights just to turn left onto Peachtree, you're not imagining things—Atlanta officially has the fifth-worst traffic in the country, according to a new report by the ConsumerAffairs research team.

What we know:

The study analyzed the nation’s 50 largest metro areas based on commute times, daily congestion, and fatal crash rates. Atlanta moved up the ranks from eighth place last year, elbowing out New York City to land in the top five. It’s the kind of progress no one asked for.

Key stats:

Average daily commute: 31.3 minutes (3rd longest in the country)
Weekday congestion: 4 hours, 57 minutes (12th worst)
Fatal crash rate: 10.75 per 100,000 people (17th worst)

What they're saying:

Unlike L.A., where you're practically born behind the wheel, Atlanta’s problem isn’t how long the roads stay clogged—it’s how painful the trip feels when you’re stuck behind someone doing 40 in the left lane on I-285. And yes, that’s every day.

Experts say traffic and economic activity go hand-in-hand. So maybe all that congestion means Atlanta is booming. Or maybe it just means we all decided to go to Costco at the same time.

Still, there’s a silver lining: We’re not Washington, D.C., where drivers spend the equivalent of 71 days a year in traffic. That’s a full season of "The Walking Dead" — and we’d rather not re-live the apocalypse on I-75.

So buckle up, Atlanta. The traffic’s not getting better anytime soon — but at least we’ve got jokes, patience, and an audiobook backlog to get us through it.

Here are the other top 5:

1. Washington, D.C.

The average commute to work in D.C. is 33.4 minutes — the longest in the U.S.

2. Los Angeles, California

Longest weekday congestion, averaging nearly 8 hours or 85 full days per year.

3. Miami, Florida

Jumped from 12th place last year to 3rd this year. Among the 10 cities with the worst traffic overall, Miami scores the worse for fatal crashes.

4. San Francisco, California

San Fran has the 2nd longest average daily commute.

If you are interested in moving to a city with the least traffic, here are your top 5:

1. Rochester, New York

2. Salt Lake City, Utah