It might not feel like it when stuck in traffic on I-76 during rush hour, but commuting in Philadelphia is improving at least compared to other metro areas, writes Jeff Tomik for PhillyVoice.
ConsumerAffairs recently released its annual report ranking the 50 most populous metropolitan areas by worst traffic. Philadelphia dropped to No. 21 this year, compared to ranking sixteenth last year.
The platform used three key metrics to determine the ranking, such as daily commute time, length of weekday congestion, and fatality rate from car crashes.
U.S. Census Bureau statistics for travel time to work for people 16 and older who work at an office as opposed to remote put Philadelphia’s average commute at 28.1 minutes. That places the city at No. 18 in that category.
Congestion time was calculated using the most recent Urban Congestion Report from the Federal Highway Administration, which covers weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Philadelphia ranked No. 21 with 4 hours of weekday congestion.
The city ranked 14th highest for fatal car crashes, with a rate of 7.63 per 100,000 residents.
Read more about the traffic rankings and how Philadelphia fares against the 50 most populous metro areas in PhillyVoice.
_____
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in August 2025.
