With Americans losing an average of $771 per year due to time spent in traffic, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst Cities to Drive in, with Baltimore and Washington D.C. both among the 10 worst.
To determine the most driver-friendly places in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 30 key metrics. The data set ranges from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per auto commuter to auto-repair shops per capita.
| Best Cities for Driving | Worst Cities for Driving | |
| 1. Corpus Christi, TX | 91. Baltimore, MD | |
| 2. Greensboro, NC | 92. San Jose, CA | |
| 3. Boise, ID | 93. Los Angeles, CA | |
| 4. Scottsdale, AZ | 94. Detroit, MI | |
| 5. Laredo, TX | 95. San Francisco, CA | |
| 6. Lubbock, TX | 96. Chicago, IL | |
| 7. Birmingham, AL | 97. New York, NY | |
| 8. Plano, TX | 98. Washington, DC | |
| 9. Austin, TX | 99. Oakland, CA | |
| 10. Winston-Salem, NC | 100. Philadelphia, PA |
- Washington D.C. is ranked 96th out of the 100 largest cities in the “Traffic & Infrastructure” category
- Washington D.C. is ranked 99th out of the 100 largest cities in the “Safety” category
- Baltimore is ranked 85th out of the 100 largest cities in the “Safety” category
- The highest ranking for the two nearby cities are 58th (DC) and 56th (Baltimore) in the “Access to Vehicles & Maintenance” category.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-to-drive-in/13964
