Portland ranks among top 20 US cities for traffic congestion, study finds

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A new study found traffic in Portland worsened in 2023, with one Portland-area corridor also ranking among the most congested in the United States, according to the 2023 Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard.

The study, released in June 2024, analyzed 947 urban areas around the world, as first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive. Of those areas, 78% saw an increase in traffic delays in 2022, according to the study.

Across the U.S., the typical driver lost a full work week to traffic congestion, losing 42 hours in 2023. This cost the U.S. more than $70 billion in 2023, increasing by 15% from 2022, the study found.

New York City topped the list for the most congested areas with the typical driver losing 101 hours to traffic jams in 2023, a slight decrease from 105 hours in 2022, according to the study.

New York City was followed by Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami for cities with the most congestion.

The Pacific Northwest also scored high on the list.

Seattle, Washington was ranked 10th on the U.S. for the worst congestion, a slight decline from the 12th spot in 2022.

According to the study, this cost the city $1.6 billion, or $1,010 per driver in 2023.

Meanwhile, Portland ranked 19th for the worst congestion, declining from the 20th spot in 2022.

This cost the average Portland driver $679 and the city $665 million in 2023, according to the study.

The Rose City is also home to one of the top 25 busiest corridors in the U.S., the Inrix study found.

At number 15, Portland’s Interstate 5 Northbound corridor from I-405 to the Washington State border was ranked among the busiest corridors with peak congestion at 4 p.m.