TomTom Index Reveals Los Angeles as Nation's Most Congested City
Amsterdam, Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
While Los Angeles tops national gridlock rankings, New York remains the slowest city despite a notable 4 percent traffic reduction attributed to its implementation of congestion pricing.
The American Congestion Paradox
The 15th edition of the TomTom Traffic Index, released today, January 21, 2026, presents a dichotomy in American mobility trends [1]. While the United States ranks 54th globally with a relatively low average congestion level of 19 percent, its major metropolitan hubs continue to face severe gridlock [1]. Los Angeles has secured its position as the most congested city in the nation, recording an average congestion level of nearly 60 percent in 2025 [1]. This intense concentration of traffic contrasts sharply with the national average, placing Los Angeles alongside Honolulu and San Francisco at the top of the domestic list [1]. Conversely, New York City retains the title of the slowest city for drivers, though recent policy changes have begun to alter the flow of traffic in the metro area [1].
Policy Impact and Commuter Costs
Data from 2025 indicates that New York City’s implementation of congestion pricing has yielded measurable results for urban logistics and commuter flow [1]. Congestion on major roads in the city decreased by 4 percentage points, with even more significant declines observed in surrounding areas; Brooklyn saw a 10-point drop, while Jersey City experienced an 8-point reduction [1]. These changes have also improved safety, correlating with a 14 percent decrease in crashes and a 15 percent drop in injuries [1]. Despite these improvements, the time cost for drivers remains high. New Yorkers lost 120 hours to peak hour traffic in 2025, compared to 80 hours for Angelenos, resulting in a difference of 40 hours of lost productivity annually between the two major economic hubs [1].
Shifting Patterns and Environmental Risks
The report also highlights a structural shift in the post-pandemic work week, with Tuesday through Thursday establishing themselves as the dominant commute days by 2025 [1]. However, economic planning is increasingly complicated by environmental volatility. Weather events now account for 15 percent of non-recurring congestion, a factor that disrupts supply chains and commuter predictability [1]. For instance, the December 2025 Christmas floods in San Bernardino slowed highway speeds by 19 percent in Wrightwood, while similar floods in the Texas Hill Country in July 2025 caused a 23 percent surge in congestion across all roads [1]. These disruptions underscore the fragility of infrastructure, with the USDOT projecting that up to $20 billion per year will be required for paved-road damage maintenance by 2030 [1].
Global Context and Technological Solutions
On a global scale, the 2025 data shows a worrying trend for logistics managers and urban planners. Global congestion levels increased by 5 percentage points, rising from 20 percent to 25 percent [1]. While the U.S. struggles with specific corridors, international cities face even steeper challenges. Mexico City recorded the highest congestion level globally at 75.9 percent, while London saw its average travel time per kilometer increase to 3 minutes and 38 seconds [2]. To address these growing complexities, TomTom emphasized the role of data in its release today, pointing to its Area Analytics tool launched in December 2025 [1][3]. As noted by Ralf-Peter Schäfer, TomTom’s Vice President for Traffic, the upward trend in congestion necessitates urgent action in smarter mobility planning and coordinated policies to ensure cities remain efficient and sustainable [1].