These are the 10 worst U.S. cities for driving in 2024, ranked

How’s the commute where you live? Chances are, it’s not as bad as the daily drives experienced by people living in Oakland, Calif., or Miami, Fla. A new study from Forbes Advisor outlines the worst cities in the country for driving, and some of the names on the list likely won’t come as much of a shock.

The 10 worst U.S. cities for driving:

1. Oakland

2. Miami

3. San Francisco

4. Houston

5. Philadelphia

6. New York City

7. Chicago

8. Atlanta

9. Dallas

10. Portland, Ore.

Forbes ranked 47 metro areas by comparing data for 15 metrics that were grouped into four basic categories: driving experience, safety, cost of car ownership and access to car maintenance.  The study assigned points for gas prices, insurance rates, commute times and even weather to rank U.S. cities. While Oakland took the “top” spot overall, Boston was the worst for driver experience specifically, and Albuquerque was the worst for driver safety. New York City is the most expensive place to own a car, and drivers in Memphis have the worst access to car maintenance.

Looking through the lens of gas prices, it’s not surprising to see that two other California cities landed in the 20 worst for driving, including Los Angeles and Long Beach. According to AAA, the state’s average gas price today is $5.42, significantly higher than the $3.667 national average.