Revealed: the cities with the worst commutes

Even though COVID made it possible for more people to work from home, surprisingly, 52% of the world’s population continue to commute to work five or more days every single week, according to Euromonitor.¹

So, if congestion is showing no signs of stopping, which cities are the worst for traffic? By analysing social media data from Linkfluence, the home loan experts at Compare the Market were able to see which cities were complaining about traffic the most, to uncover the worst places for commuters.

Read on to find out if your city makes the cut.

North American cities with the worst commuting times

With many North Americans favouring driving to work over getting public transport, which cities are officially the worst for commuting?

1. Los Angeles, California, USA

With the highest negative sentiment score of 46.5% and 20,831 negative tweets about traffic in the past year, Los Angeles firmly cements itself as the worst US city for traffic. One of the key reasons for this is that the city doesn’t have a well-connected public transport system; and coupled with the fact that LA’s more sprawling than the likes of New York, more people are on the roads, meaning there’s more congestion.

2. Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver is officially the most congested city in Canada, and the second most across North America, with a negative sentiment of 41.8%.

Highway 1 is one of the most notorious roads for traffic – whilst it was initially built for people going out of the city on long drives, it’s a popular way for people to commute into Vancouver. According to a survey by TomTom, a 10km drive in Vancouver will likely take you 22 minutes and 30 seconds to complete.²

3. New York City, New York, USA

With a negative sentiment of 40.2% and a staggering 34,178 negative tweets regarding traffic, the Big Apple comes in third place for its bad traffic.

Despite the subway system stretching from Brooklyn to the Bronx, traffic on the roads is still bad, which isn’t surprising, considering New York City has the largest population in the US, at 7,888,121.

4. Houston, Texas, USA

Houston comes in fourth place, with 19,264 negative tweets about the bad traffic, and a negative sentiment of 39.3%.

The most congested areas to avoid during rush hour (if you can) include the West Loop Freeway between I-10 and I-69, as well as the South Loop East Freeway, from I-45 to I-10.

5. Calgary, Canada

Rounding off our top five worst commuter cities in North America is Alberta’s Calgary. Despite only having a population of 1,639,613, negative sentiment regarding the traffic stands at 39.2%, with 1,438 negative tweets made about it.

Some of the most congested streets to try and avoid if you don’t want to get stuck in traffic include Ottawa River Roadway, Woodroffe, and Queen Elizabeth Parkway.

Philadelphia, Toronto, Edmonton, Dallas, and Winnipeg all make it into the top 10 for the worst North American commuter cities.

European cities with the worst commuting times

Whilst cities in Europe are more well-known for their effective public transport systems compared to North America, major cities still suffer from serious traffic.

1. Dublin, Ireland

Ireland’s capital officially has the worst commutes in Europe, with a negative sentiment score of 38.2%, and 4,243 negative tweets about the traffic.

According to INRIX’s Global Traffic Scorecard, cars in downtown Dublin drive at just 5.9 miles an hour,³ and with many publications showing frustrations from commuters on public transport about buses turning up late or not at all, it’s clear to see that congestion is an issue whichever way you use the roads.

2. Izmir, Turkey

With a population of 3,088,414, Izmir has the second worst commutes in Europe, with 441 negative tweets about the traffic, and a negative sentiment score of 36.5%.

The city’s winding streets with its sometimes poorly marked signs means that driving around the city can take longer than expected; so, if you’re visiting Izmir, it’s recommended you travel by train instead.

3. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is the third worst commuter city, with its 5,687,356 residents making 3,739 complaints about the traffic on Twitter, resulting in a negative sentiment score of 34.1%.

Some of the key roads to avoid if possible include Avenida Diagonal, Las Rondas, and Operacion Salida. However, if you’re commuting across Barcelona, then its metro system is a quick and efficient way of getting from A to B.

Porto makes it into fourth place in Europe for its congestion, and surprisingly, Copenhagen is fifth, despite the fact that a lot of commuters travel by bike instead of by car. Sofia, Antwerp, Naples, Madrid, and Cologne all make it into the top 10.

Australian and New Zealand cities with the worst commuting times

Moving over to Australia and New Zealand, discover the cities that have the worst commuting times – whether you choose to drive, or use public transport.

1. Sydney, Australia

With a negative sentiment score of 44.9%, and 6,345 negative traffic tweets from its 5,120,894-strong population, Sydney is the worst city for commuting across Australia and New Zealand.

The worst areas in Sydney for traffic include Haymarket, The Rocks, Liverpool, and Ryde – although perhaps nowhere is worse than the infamous Parramatta Road.

2. Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is close behind in second place, with the 5,235,407-strong population making 2,553 negative tweets about the traffic, resulting in a 34.6% negative sentiment score.

Approximately 75% of residents use a car to get to work, according to the last census,⁴ with West Gate Freeway, Monash Freeway, and the M80 Ring Road some of the most congested roads in the city.

3. Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland is officially the most congested city in New Zealand, and the third most when you take other Australian cities into account. Auckland traffic has a negative sentiment score of 30.6%.

The motorways are the worst for congestion, of which there are four: the Southern Motorway, the Northern Motorway (which is arguably the worst as it’s by Harbour Bridge), SH20, and SH16. If you’re commuting around Auckland, then try and be close to a train station, or near enough to work so you can walk.

Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth all also made it onto the list, although Perth is significantly better for congestion, with a negative sentiment score of just 8%.