Move over, L.A.—there’s a new king of carmageddon.
According to ConsumerAffairs’ 2025 traffic rankings, Washington, D.C., has officially taken the wheel as the city with the worst traffic in America, ousting the long-reigning champion, Los Angeles. The average commute in the nation’s capital now clocks in at a whopping 33.4 minutes—the longest in the U.S.—with congestion stretching over 6.5 hours a day. And if you’ve tried crossing the Roosevelt Bridge lately, you know it feels even longer.
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Experts say D.C.’s congestion spike is fueled by a perfect storm of factors: a post-pandemic return-to-office mandate, plus a triple threat of long-term construction projects snarling key arteries. Rehab work on the GW Parkway, major lane closures on the Roosevelt Bridge and delays on I-495 are giving drivers plenty of reasons to scream into their steering wheels.
To be fair, L.A.’s not exactly coasting. It still claims the top spot for most hours of daily congestion—nearly eight—translating to 85 full days of stop-and-go each year. But with D.C. drivers spending more time commuting and navigating through active construction zones, the District ekes out a win in this lose-lose competition.
On the bright side, D.C. commuters are statistically safer: The city ranks among the 10 lowest for fatal car crashes. Small consolation when you’ve been stuck on the GW Parkway for 45 minutes without moving, but we’ll take it.
Meanwhile, other cities on the rise (or fall, depending how you look at it) include Miami—up from 12th to 3rd worst in just one year—and Atlanta, which cracked the top five with a 31-minute commute and nearly five hours of weekday congestion.
If you’re wondering where to escape the traffic drama altogether, try Rochester, New York, where the average commute is just over 21 minutes and “rush hour” sounds more like an inside joke.
But for now, Washingtonians can claim the dubious honor of sitting in the nation’s slowest-moving capital. Just don’t forget your podcast queue. You’re gonna be a while.