49 hours a year stuck in traffic costs the average American driver $894 in lost time, and the city that just knocked New York off its two-year reign at the top will genuinely catch you off guard

Traffic congestion continued to mount nationwide, causing the typical American driver to lose 49 hours in 2025 due to traffic jams, up six hours from 2024. Pishue added that “when the road system doesn’t meet the demand, that’s when we get traffic congestion.” The typical U.S. driver lost 49 hours to traffic congestion in 2025, an 11% increase from 2024, amounting to $894 in lost time per driver. As Chicago overtook New York as the most congested U.S. city, American drivers lost 49 hours overall, costing the nation $85.8 billion in lost time. New York drivers, meanwhile, lost 102 hours in 2025, costing the average driver $1,879 and the city $9.7 billion.