According to a new report from ConsumerAffairs, Orlando is currently ranked as the 12th worst metropolitan area in the country due to traffic congestion, and has climbed two spots since last year.
The annual ranking rated the 50 largest US metropolitan areas based on average commute time, weekday crowding times and fatal car accident rates. Orlando’s average commute rose from 1.7% to 30.2 minutes, while weekday crowds rose from 7.7% to 3 hours and 45 minutes. The region also reported the highest number in the nation, with 13.3 fatal conflicts per 100,000 residents falling 12.4% since 2023.
Washington, DC was top of the list of worst overall traffic, with over 6.5 hours of average commutes and weekday traffic jams. Los Angeles continued, cutting down traffic jams for about eight hours on weekdays. Miami ranked third, recording the highest fatal collision rate in the top 10 with 11.4 per 100,000 people.
San Francisco and Atlanta concluded the top five. San Francisco had the second-longest commute time at 32.1 minutes, while Atlanta reported relatively low crowds in just five hours despite a 31.3 minutes commute.
The data refers to worsening traffic conditions in the South. Of the 18 Southern Metros included in the analysis, only Virginia Beach improved year-over-year, dropping six spots, particularly in Florida cities.
Columbus, Ohio, showed the biggest improvement, reducing crowds by around 40% since last year.
Nationwide, average commute time rose from 4.6% to 26.9 minutes, while weekday crowds increased from 1.3% to 3 hours and 43 minutes. The fatal crash rate fell slightly, down 3.8% per 100,000 people to 11.33.
