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Looking to get somewhere in 15 minutes? It's not likely in one of these five US cities. The Texas Transporation Institute's (TTI) 2009 Urban Mobility Report, a national report using data from 2007, documents the annual number of hours motorists spent stuck in traffic. ABC News reported that the total amount of time Americans wasted in traffic in 2007 from the TTI study was 4.2 billion hours. That works out to nearly one full work week, or vacation week if you want to look at it that way, for every traveler. Some cities saw some traffic improvements.
But if you're planning to move to one of the top 5 worst US cities for traffic, you might want to stock up on your books on tape, travel snacks, and invest in satellite radio – chances are you'll be spending some "quality" time in your car.
With downtown Houston in the background, streaking lights from cars traveling on the interstate are seen in October 2007. (Newscom)
4. Houston, Texas
Houston drivers spent 56 hours in traffic in 2007, the TTI study reports, which remained unchanged from 2006-2007. Forbes has the average speed of a motorist while in congestion at 13.2 miles per hour. The Houston Chronicle attributes the equally bad traffic to a "fast-growing population that outpaced roadway capacity." Additionally, The Weather Channel reports that the city is also home to the second most Fortune 500 headquarters behind New York. "While that's great for jobs, it's the people who fill those jobs that are finding themselves in some pretty bad congestion."
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