Actual gridlock in Washington costs D.C. commuters 82 hours, nearly $2,000 a year

A recent study from Texas A&M University found that traffic got worse in 95 of America's 100 biggest cities between 2013 and 2014, thanks to the improving economy, and that the average U.S. commuter spends 42 hours a year stuck in traffic. If that seems like a lot — and it does — remember, that's the average; things are much worse in the Top 5 worst cities. In this video, The Wall Street Journal walks you through those five metro areas, three of which are in California, leading up to the worst U.S. city for traffic, Washington, D.C. Commuters in the D.C. area spend 82 hours a year in traffic, at an average annual cost of $1,834 per driver.

"Gridlock in the capital," deadpans narrator Catey Hill. "You don't say." You can watch her report below. Peter Weber

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up