Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Cars

The “Worst Cities for Driving” Include a Lot of America’s Best Cities

Don't you just hate going to a really lively city with a pulsing street life? Where there's a lot going on and people can walk from one place to the next? You might if you're trying to drive there. And once again, NerdWallet has delivered the windshield perspective on America's cities.

Isn't Seattle such a horrible place? I mean, where would you park here? Photo: ##http://www.city-data.com/forum/city-vs-city/1409519-city-most-downtown-foot-traffic-20.html##City-Data##
Isn't Seattle such a horrible place? I mean, where would you park here? Photo: City-Data
Isn't Seattle such a horrible place? I mean, where would you park here? Photo: ##http://www.city-data.com/forum/city-vs-city/1409519-city-most-downtown-foot-traffic-20.html##City-Data##

The pop-finance website's new ranking of the worst cities to drive in includes, predictably, some of the country's best cities to walk, bike, take transit, or otherwise be in.

So, your worst cities? The real hellholes for drivers? They are:

    1. New York
    2. Detroit
    3. San Francisco
    4. Chicago
    5. Washington, DC
    6. Seattle
    7. Boston
    8. Miami
    9. Honolulu
    10. Oakland

Population density counted heavily against a city in the ranking, because it makes car ownership expensive and the streets more congested -- not to mention more chaotic to drive in because you're "weaving though trolleys, cab drivers, pedestrians and cyclists," as NerdWallet puts it.

Also factored in to a city's rank are the cost of gas and insurance (high insurance costs landed Detroit near the top) and hours of motorist delay, measured exactly the same way the Texas Transportation Institute measures it. Oh, and NerdWallet also holds it against a city if it has seasons, with precipitation.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

House T&I Chair Vows ‘No Money for Bikes or Walking’ in Fed Transportation Bill

The outlook for active transportation won't be good if advocates don't stand up.

November 12, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Graded on a Curve

Maybe one reason the U.S. has so many traffic deaths is that it's so easy to get a driver's license compared to other countries.

November 12, 2025

Mobility in Rural America: How India’s Popular Transportation Can Be A Model For US Transit Deserts

Lower ridership after Covid, combined with ongoing transit budget cuts, has caused a significant decrease in frequent and reliable public transit service for small and rural communities. Here's one way to fill the gap.

November 11, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Burning Up

On climate change, the gap is growing between what governments are promising and doing, and neither is enough.

November 11, 2025

We Haven’t Saved Transit Yet: What Comes After Chicago’s Fiscal Cliff

On its own, more funding averts short-term disaster, but does nothing to solve our longer term transit issues. And while the governance reforms could lead to better service, there’s no guarantee of that.

November 10, 2025
See all posts