TomTom's Largest-Ever Traffic Index Uncovers Increased Congestion and Slower Speeds on U.S. Roads in 2024

Get the full ranking and interactive report at TomTom Traffic Index

AMSTERDAM, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TomTom (TOM2), the leading location technology specialist, today released the 14^th edition of its annual Traffic Index, providing data and insights on traffic trends in 500 cities across 62 countries throughout 2024. This year's report is the largest-ever, with data collected for more than 100 new cities. Using unified metrics, cities are ranked based on their average travel time, as well as congestion level.

Findings reveal significant trends in urban mobility, with U.S. cities generally experiencing increased traffic congestion and slower traffic speeds compared to 2023. Globally, out of the 500 cities included in the Traffic Index, 379 (76%) saw their overall average speed decrease compared to 2023. Despite this decrease, average speeds under optimal conditions, characterized by free-flowing traffic, remained stable and even showed slight improvements in most cities. This suggests that the observed deterioration in average speeds is primarily driven by dynamic factors affecting congestion levels, rather than changes in road infrastructure.

Overall, the U.S. experienced an 9% increase in congestion compared to 2023 (15.4 vs 14.1).

Additional key findings include:

• New York, San Francisco, and Honolulu were the U.S. cities with the slowest average speeds
• In New York (city center), a typical 6-mile trip took an average of 30 minutes (average speed: 12 mph) - and up to 35 minutes in the Brooklyn area.
• Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Miami topped this year's list of most congested cities
• New York is the nation's most congested city at peak hours, with 94 hours lost due to congestion for a 6-mile return trip (+2h42 vs 2023)
• Providence, RI, showed the largest percentage increase in congestion among U.S. cities, with a jump of almost 50% from 2023 (from 21% to 31%)

Ranking: The top 10 U.S. cities with the slowest average speeds in 2024

Traffic patterns in New-York, the slowest U.S. city

In Brooklyn, the average travel time was 35 minutes and 29 seconds for a 6-mile trip.

Ranking: Top 10 U.S. cities with the highest congestion levels

The congestion level of a city measures the relative increase in all travel times recorded over the year, compared with reference travel times, which are those observed in the same city when traffic is completely free-flowing.

Traffic patterns in Los Angeles, the most congested U.S. metropolitan area

In the Santa Monica area, the average annual congestion level was above 52%.

Ranking: Top 10 U.S. cities who lost the most time due to peak-hour congestion

For each city, TomTom calculated the average total travel time for a commuter who covered a typical 6-mile journey twice a day during morning and evening peak hours, and the total time lost over 2024 due to congestion.

A Call to Action for Smarter Mobility
As urban areas continue to expand, traffic congestion is becoming an increasingly pressing issue that needs to be addressed. "The combination of population and economic growth is putting significant strain on our transportation networks," said Ralf-Peter Schäfer, Vice President of Traffic at TomTom. "Outdated infrastructure and inefficient road planning fail to keep pace with demand. Additionally, the surge in e-commerce has led to a rise in freight traffic, further complicating the situation. Without a shift towards more regulation and sustainable transportation options, we risk worsening congestion that impacts everyone in our cities."

TomTom's Traffic Index underscores the importance of leveraging data to design smarter urban environments. Collecting real-time data from over 600 million connected devices, TomTom's Annual Traffic Index equips a wide range of stakeholders with the data-driven insights needed to transform urban mobility.

By offering a comprehensive look at traffic patterns and congestion levels, the Traffic Index empowers city planners and government officials to make informed decisions about infrastructure investments, public transportation initiatives, and traffic management strategies. Businesses can leverage the data to optimize logistics, streamline supply chains, and enhance delivery routes, leading to cost savings and improved efficiency. Automakers can utilize these insights to develop advanced navigation systems, traffic prediction features, and driver-assistance technologies that improve safety and enhance the overall driving experience. Additionally, policymakers can use the Index to shape effective transportation policies that promote sustainability, reduce congestion, and improve the quality of life in cities.

"Urban mobility is the result of the interplay between static factors that determine the potential for efficient travel, and dynamic factors that create variations and disruptions experienced by road users," adds Schäffer. "Our traffic data allows urban planners to understand these factors, for them to design cities that balance mobility, safety, and accessibility."

TomTom's 2024 Traffic Index, Traffic Volumes and much more will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (Jan 7-10) at TomTom's meeting space, located at Booth W311 + W312 on the third level of the West Hall within the Las Vegas Convention Center. To learn more or schedule a meeting with TomTom at CES, visit: https://www.tomtom.com/events/trade-show/ces-2025/

About the TomTom Traffic Index
For the past 14 years, the TomTom Traffic Index has served as a comprehensive resource for understanding global traffic patterns. Powered by data collected from over 600 million devices and over 61 billion anonymous GPS data points around the world, the Traffic Index uses a representative sample of this data to offer insights into travel times and congestion impacts, highlighting the global evolution of traffic throughout the year.

TomTom traffic data provides detailed information of traffic patterns (speeds, accelerations, travel times and km driven). A barometer of mobility patterns around the world, the TomTom Traffic Index is an authoritative indicator of how people move, economic activity levels, global trade and much more. For years, TomTom's Traffic Index has been used by analysts, corporations and the media to explain a world in flux.

2024 TomTom Traffic Index Methodology
The TomTom Traffic Index utilizes floating car data collected from various sources to enhance traffic services. For this new edition, TomTom analyzed a representative sample covering 737 billion kilometers driven in 2024, enabling the tracking and demonstration of how traffic patterns have changed in cities worldwide.

TomTom has revised its method for defining city centers and metropolitan areas to better reflect actual traffic conditions and enable standardized comparisons between cities. TomTom maps all traffic flows on a hexagonal grid system to identify interconnected areas within the city; the "city center" is defined as the cluster of densest hexagons that account for 20% of all trips, while the "metropolitan area" encompasses all hexagons representing 80% of all trips within the city.

The differences in travel times (or average speeds) across cities stem from a combination of static and dynamic factors that significantly influence traffic flow and overall driving conditions.

Static factors are fixed aspects of a city's infrastructure and planning that influence travel times. The design of road networks, including highways, arterial roads, and residential streets, impacts traffic flow. Narrow streets, one-way systems, and complex intersections can slow movement, while wider, multi-lane roads support smoother flow. Speed limits, often set for safety, and high-density areas with frequent stops or pedestrian zones also affect driving speeds. Traffic light synchronization, roundabouts, and stop signs further shape navigation efficiency.

Complementing these static factors are dynamic factors, that is ever-evolving conditions that impact traffic flow on a daily basis. Traffic congestion during peak hours, special events, and seasonal traffic surges lead to higher vehicle density, causing delays. Construction projects and road closures disrupt normal traffic patterns, often necessitating detours. Weather conditions, such as rain, snow, or fog, can reduce visibility and road traction, forcing drivers to slow down. Unexpected obstructions, such as car accidents, can create bottlenecks and lead to rerouted traffic.

About TomTom
Billions of data points. Millions of sources. Thousands of communities.

We are the mapmaker bringing it all together to build the world's smartest map. We provide location data and technology to drivers, carmakers, businesses and developers. Our application-ready maps, routing, real-time traffic, APIs and SDKs empower the dreamers and doers to move our world forward.

Headquartered in Amsterdam with 3,700 employees around the globe, TomTom has been shaping the future of mobility for over 30 years.
www.tomtom.com

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SOURCE TomTom