Philadelphia Lands On Top 10 List Of Cities For Worst Traffic

If you drive in or around Philadelphia during rush hour, you know you are in it for the long haul.

Let’s start with the obvious, the Schuylkill Expressway or Route 76 to people outside of Philly. This may be the worst road in the history of mankind. From the Conshohocken Curve to Schuylkill Westbound after University, you probably have sat there wondering why is there traffic when there aren’t any accidents?

Let’s move past the Schuylkill and go to I-95. Is it me or has 95 been under construction since the Declaration of Independence was signed? If you have listened to any Philly traffic report, you have heard “jammed from Cottman to Girard, Construction from Cottman to Bridge, 95 North is slow between Route 420 and the Philly airport.” That’s because there is traffic at those spots at just about any point of the day.

Forget about the Vine Street Expressway or “676” to outsiders. This road gets you into the city at many different spots and the Vine Street Expressway is how you get from 95 to the Schuylkill Expressway. Let’s just say you should leave really early or really late to get to work if you want to bypass this traffic.

I have not even talked about the main bridges in the city.

The Tacony Palmyra Bridge is always backed up but nowhere near as bad as the Betsy Ross, the Ben Franklin, or the Walt Whitman.

Have you ever been on the Blue Route or the PA Turnpike during rush hour? It seems like when I listen to traffic reports, these are always big problem roads.

So, we talked about the major roads that get you into the city and have not talked about the actual city. When you get into the city, not only is there no parking but you will definitely be sitting in traffic.

I know this is Philly-specific traffic but you can’t forget South Jersey and the roads surrounding the bridges. They are always on traffic reports.

INRIX.com says the average driver in the U.S. lost 51 hours to sitting in traffic last year. Philadelphia lands on the top 10 list of cities for worst traffic. Where do you think Philly landed on the top 10 list of cities with the worst traffic?

5. Miami, Florida
Vehicle traffic is seen in the street in Miami Beach, Florida.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

I was kinda shocked at this one. I thought other cities were much worse but Miami comes in at #5. I have never driven in Miami but I was in a cab once. It was pretty brutal but I have been in much worse. Like Philly, their major highways alwyas seem to be under construction which leads to congestion.
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A traffic jam in Philadelphia, PA
(Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Philly comes in at #4! This number makes sense. I am shocked that Philly is worse than LA but if you do drive in Philly, you know why it made the list. I know we love to win in Philly but coming in 4th place is actual a good thing for this list.
3. New York, New York
Traffic in the Midtown neighborhood of New York, US.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

I was shocked when I saw LA came in at #6 and was dumbfounded when NYC came in at 3. I thought they would be #1 and #2 respectively. They are the 2 biggest markets in the US. Driving in New York City is one of the scariest things I have ever done in my entire life. From the crowds of people, to the cabs whizzing by, to the bike riders…. I’m getting anxiety just thinking about it.
2. Boston, Massachusetts
Heavy traffic all over the area including on Route 93 leading both into and out of the city.
(Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

I have driven in Boston in rush hour and honestly it wasn’t that bad. It was pretty normal traffic so I’m shocked to see that Boston was #2 on this list. Now let me clarify that I have only driven in Boston on a Friday in the summer so maybe that’s why it wasn’t so bad.
1. Chicago, Illinois
Traffic travels through downtown in Chicago, Illinois.
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Chicago comes in at #1. I thought Chicago would be #3 behind NYC and LA but not on this list. I was doing some reading on traffic on Chicago and found out some fascinating stuff. According to INRIX, drivers lost 155 hours to traffic in 2022, making it the #1 city for worst traffic in the US and and #2 in the entire world behind London. WOW!