DALLAS — You probably don't need a comprehensive study to tell you what you already know: Traffic in North Texas can be rough, especially during morning and afternoon rush hours.
Aside from our not-so-stellar reputation as drivers, there's just a lot of us (eight million, to be exact), which means a lot of cars on the roads at all hours of the day.
But a new study at least gives a glass-half-full look at our traffic problems: North Texas congestion is *only* ranked 17th in the U.S., according to a new study from the firm Inrix, which analyzes traffic data through real-time parking and traffic information and road sensors.
North Texas ranked second in the state, behind Houston, which checked in at No. 8 on the overall rankings. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Miami were the top five U.S. cities, and New York ranked No. 1 in the world.
Check out the full global rankings here. This is the top 25 in the U.S.:
- New York
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- Miami
- Philadelphia
- Washington
- Houston
- Atlanta
- Seattle
- San Juan
- Nashville
- San Francisco
- Baltimore
- Pittsburgh
- Charlotte
- Dallas
- Honolulu
- Portland
- Stamford, Conn.
- Austin
- Denver
- King of Prussia, Pa.
- New Orleans
- San Antonio
The study measured several factors, including hours lost in traffic congestion and the cost of congestion per driver, per year.
In North Texas, those numbers shook out to 38 hours lost and $658 per driver. New York drivers, by comparison, lost 101 hours in congestion and $1,762.
While DFW's traffic wasn't as bad as other major U.S. cities, the data indicates it's getting there: Traffic congestion is up 12% since 2019 and up 16% from 2022.
The report featured a few other interesting nuggets:
- Peak speeds in North Texas at the "absolute worst portion" of morning and afternoon rush were 35 mph in 2023, down from 37 mph in 2022.
- Peak speeds during "off-peak" periods between the two rush hours was 52 mph in 2023, the same as in 2022.
- The "last mile" speed within one mile of downtown Dallas was 16 mph in 2023. Data from 2022 wasn't included in the report.
- The stretch of eastbound U.S. 80 from Interstate 635 to Farm Road 548 ranked as the 11th-most congested road in the U.S. Drivers lost on average 17 minutes during the peak hour of traffic, 5 p.m., and 66 hours total on the year. The stretch of U.S. 80 was the highest-ranked road in Texas. Interstate 4 in Orlando, Florida, ranked as the most congested road in the country in 2023.
- Austin had the biggest jump in congestion rankings from 2022 to 2023, climbing six spots to No. 21. San Antonio also made the top 25 list, at No. 25.
