A new study claims NYC will actually be the worst city for holiday travel in the U.S. this Christmas

NYC is a beautiful place to be for the holidays, but if you're traveling to or from the city this Christmas, prepare for some hassle. A new national study has crowned the city the worst place in America for holiday travel.

Researchers at Duelbits ranked the 50 most populous U.S. cities across eight factors tied to holiday travel, including traffic time, rush hour delays, accident rates, flight performance, tire trouble, road quality and the chance of snow. New York scored 8.9 out of 10, putting the town firmly in first place. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Miami round out the unfortunate top five, but New York comes out on top by a full half point.

Traffic is the city’s main issue. Drivers in New York lose an average of 30 percent extra time to congestion. They also lose an average of 98 hours each year to rush hour. That is the longest delay in the entire study and 61 hours more than the national average. Anyone who has tried to cross midtown during peak holiday season will understand.

If you're flying into the city for the holidays, stay flexible. Only 62.51 percent of flights arrive in New York on time, the fourth lowest rate in the country. Even worse, 7.82 percent of flights are cancelled outright, the highest cancellation rate. Add the city’s 13.2 percent chance of snow on Christmas and you have a recipe for delays.

NYC drivers have more than just traffic to worry about. The city sees 22.81 Google searches per 10,000 people each month for "how to change a tire." This shows just how many drivers face breakdowns and roadside surprises just as holiday travel surges.

There is one bright spot, however. New York’s traffic accident danger score is only 2.75, well below the national average of 6.24. The roads may be congested and the airports may test your patience, but actual crash risk is lower than you might think.

So if New York is on your itinerary this Christmas, plan ahead, pack your patience and expect the journey to take longer than you'd like it to.

20 worst cities for holiday travel this Christmas

1. New York
2. Los Angeles
3. San Francisco
4. Chicago
5. Miami
6. Boston
7. Houston
8. Dallas
9. Philadelphia
10. Denver
11. Tampa
12. San Diego
13. Baltimore
14. Columbia
15. Milwaukee
16. San Jose
17. Jacksonville
18. Seattle
19. Austin
20. New Orleans