AUSTIN, Texas — It’s probably no surprise if you’ve been on I-35 or MoPac recently, but traffic congestion in Austin saw a modest increase in 2024.
The INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard released Thursday shows that drivers in the Texas capital lost nearly two days’ worth of hours to traffic jams.
The annual scorecard analyzes traffic data from 946 urban areas worldwide and ranks Austin 22nd among U.S. cities for traffic congestion.
In addition to Austin drivers losing 39 hours to traffic jams, those jams cost drivers $698 in lost time in productivity. For Austin as a whole, traffic congestion cost Austin an estimated $700 million in 2024.
Despite the 3% increase in delays from 2023, Austin’s traffic woes pale in comparison to other major American cities. New York City topped the list, with drivers losing 102 hours to congestion, followed by Chicago and Los Angeles.
As far as Texas cities go, Houston made the top 10 nationally with 66 hours lost to congestion. It was also the only Texas city in the top 25 worldwide.
The study also noted a significant shift in working from home to returning to the office, especially in tech-heavy areas. While many areas still sit below pre-pandemic levels, the study suggests traffic congestion is likely to build in those areas.
Nationally, the average American driver lost 43 hours to traffic congestion in 2024, equivalent to a full work week. The average cost per driver is about $771 per driver, resulting in a total national cost of $74 billion.
How did other Texas cities fare?
The 20-mile trek from Dallas to Forney on US-80 ranked as the third-busiest corridor in America.
Austin traffic is bad but stalled out compared to San Antonio in 2024. San Antonio took the 21st spot on the list, tying Austin with 39 hours stuck in traffic congestion last year. However, that was an 11% increase compared to 2023, when San Antonio ranked 25th.
While data wasn’t completely available for other cities, New Braunfels and Waco did see their traffic woes decrease last year.