Chicago Freeways Ranked Among Most Congested in US – NBC Chicago

Chicago drivers lost more than four days of time stuck in traffic last year on some of the world’s most congested roads, according to a new ranking.

The rankings published by INRIX, a company specializing in traffic data and analysis, show that Chicago has five of the ten most congested roads in the United States and the city itself is ranked among the most congested in the world.

The ranking takes into account various factors, including time lost in traffic and the average speed of drivers in the city center, according to the company.

The company’s analyzes place Chicago as the third most congested city in the world, with Istanbul overtaking New York to top the rankings in 2024.

According to the company, Chicago drivers spent an average of 102 hours in traffic in 2024, a total of four days and six hours. This represents an increase of 6% compared to the previous year.

Additionally, Chicago has some of the most congested highways in the country. According to the rankings, the outbound Stevenson Expressway, between the Dan Ryan Expressway and Cicero Avenue, ranks as the fifth most congested highway in America, with drivers wasting about 79 hours per year on the roadway.

Two sections of the Kennedy Expressway between Cicero Avenue and Ohio Street ranked No. 6 and No. 7 in the rankings, according to the company.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Kennedy Expressway and Dan Ryan Expressway represent one of the busiest highways in America, with a total annual average daily traffic of more than 321,000 vehicles per day.

The inbound Eisenhower Expressway between Wolf Road and Harlem Avenue ranked No. 9 on the list, with the outbound Kennedy Expressway between Ontario Street and Irving Park Road rounding out the top 10.