See Where NYC Ranks Among US Cities With The Worst Traffic: New Report

NEW YORK CITY — Traffic in New York City can be rough — but it's not the worst in the U.S. for this year, according to a new report.

ConsumerAffairs released its rankings for cities with the worst traffic across the country after they analyzed hours of congestion, commute times and fatal crash data in the 50 largest U.S. metros.

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In 2026, New York City ranks as the third-worst metro for traffic in America:

• NYC drivers face an average commute time of 31 minutes by car — the 4th-longest commute.
• On a typical weekday, Big Apple drivers collectively waste an average of 6 hrs and 39 mins stuck in traffic, making New York City the 4th-most congested city in the country.
• NYC has the 4th-lowest fatal crash rate, showing encouraging signs of road safety.

Los Angeles, California, ranks No. 1 for worst traffic overall, based largely on its 8 hours and 27 minutes of average daily congestion — nearly the equivalent of a full workday.

Washington D.C ranks in the number two spot with an average daily commute time of 33 minutes.

The average duration of weekday congestion is 6 hours and 27 minutes and the annual rate of fatal car crashes: 4.89 per 100,000 people.

San Francisco and Houston round out the top 5.

On the other hand, Upstate New York is among the best places to drive this year, according to the report.

Rochester has the least traffic in the country, and Buffalo isn’t far behind:

• Rochester commuters spend an average of 21.2 minutes heading to work.
• Buffalo commuters spend slightly more time on the road, with an average of 21.4 minutes.

You can read the full report here.