Are You Living In One Of The Best—Or Worst—Cities For Drivers?

Americans are taking to the road in increasing numbers again as Covid-related closures and work-from-home policies are becoming distant memories. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vehicle miles traveled during the first half of 2022 increased by about 43.2 billion, which represents a 2.8% increase over the same period in 2021.

That also means there’s increased congestion on the nation’s highways, with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimating U.S. drivers are spending an average 360 hours on the road annually, which comes out to the equivalent of 15 days a year.

High gas prices, combined with rising auto insurance rates and ongoing operating costs are likewise making Americans’ daily commutes more arduous than ever. There’s also the frequency of accidents, fatal crashes and car thefts to consider—all of which are likewise on the upswing—as well as local weather conditions, road quality, average commuting times, and access to auto repair shops, parking lots/garages, vehicle dealerships, and car washes.

But as it turns out, motorists in some parts of the country tend to fare better behind the wheel than others, with the above factors varying, often wildly, from one major U.S. city to another. The personal finance website WalletHub.com just issued a report that ranks the best and worst cities for drivers in the post-pandemic era among the 100 most-populated areas in the country, based on 30 key variables.

Perhaps not surprisingly, smaller cities fare far better in this regard than do the nation’s largest and most car-clogged metro areas. Raleigh, NC is considered the most motorist friendly city, overall, with Philadelphia being the least hospitable. We’re featuring lists of WalletHub.com’s best- and worst-rated cities for drivers below.

Among individual attributes studied, those living in Lubbock, TX spend the fewest annual hours stuck in traffic, while the worst commutes can be found, as expected, in Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York City. The nation’s lowest average gas prices can be found in Laredo, TX, while they’re the highest in Los Angeles and Long Beach, CA.

You’re the least likely to get into an accident in Boise, ID, and most likely to crash in Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. Car thefts are the fewest in Gilbert, AZ, while they’re the most likely to occur in Oakland, Denver, and St Louis.

Also, the study found the most auto repair shops per capita are in Baton Rouge, LA, with the fewest in New York City. Car washes are the most plentiful per citizen in Orlando, FL, while they’re the most scarce in Boston. Maintenance costs are the lowest in Jacksonville, FL, and the highest in Seattle. Drivers pay the least to park in Corpus Christi, TX, with the costliest spaces being in San Diego, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York City.

Here are the U.S. cities WalletHub.com determined as being the best and worst for motorists in the U.S.:

Best Cities for Driving

1. Raleigh, NC
2. Plano, TX
3. Corpus Christi, TX
4. Greensboro, NC
5. Winston-Salem, NC
6. Lincoln, NE
7. Jacksonville, FL
8. Arlington, TX
9. Garland, TX
10. Orlando, FL

Worst Cities for Driving

1. Philadelphia, PA
2. Detroit, MI
3. Oakland, CA
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Chicago, IL
6. New York, NY
7. Washington, DC
8. Baltimore, MD
9. Seattle, WA
10. Los Angeles, CA

You can read the full report with all 100 cities ranked here.