In the United States, the car remains deeply woven into the fabric of daily life. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, some 87 percent of daily trips are made in personal vehicles. Yet the freedom of the open road often exacts a steep toll: the average driver spends more than 369 hours behind the wheel each year—equivalent to more than 15 full days. Add to that the costs of fuel, wasted time, and wear and tear from traffic congestion, and the burden mounts: each driver shoulders roughly $771 annually in these hidden expenses.
The condition of our roads amplifies that burden. America’s highways and bridges suffer chronic underfunding, and the backlog of needed repairs runs into the hundreds of billions of dollars, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum ranks U.S. road quality only 17th out of 141 advanced economies. When pavement buckles, potholes multiply, or bridges deteriorate, the inconvenience and expense are felt in every commute—and in every repair bill.
In response, WalletHub set out to identify where driving in the United States is least painful. The firm compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 30 metrics spanning four core dimensions: cost of ownership & maintenance, traffic & infrastructure, safety, and access to vehicles & maintenance. Among those metrics are average gas prices, annual hours spent in congestion per commuter, accident likelihood, number of auto-repair shops per capita, and more. The resulting rankings reveal stark contrasts: in some cities, drivers enjoy affordable fuel, smooth commutes, and well-maintained roads; in others, they endure gridlock, safety risks, and crumbling infrastructure.
Top 10 Cities Where Driving Is Easiest
In the WalletHub study, Raleigh, North Carolina, claimed the top spot as the best city for drivers. It’s followed closely by Boise, Idaho; Corpus Christi, Texas; Greensboro, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; Wichita, Kansas; Tampa, Florida; and Plano, Texas.
Drivers in these cities tend to benefit from lower overall driving costs, more tolerable congestion, safer road conditions, and better access to maintenance services. For example, Corpus Christi ranked first overall in a related WalletHub presentation, thanks to low gas prices, short commute times, relatively well-maintained bridges, and strong safety indicators—including high rates of seatbelt usage.Greensboro and Boise also score consistently across multiple dimensions, combining moderate costs, lower accident rates, and reasonable traffic burdens.
Cities like Tampa and Orlando benefit from geographic layouts that reduce congestion in many areas, and infrastructure investments that help manage traffic more fluidly. Plano, on the other hand, combines strong access to vehicle services with relatively stable road conditions and moderate congestion levels.
While no city offers a perfect driving experience, the top 10 show that placing a premium on infrastructure, safety, and cost can yield measurable relief to drivers who rely on personal vehicles every day.
Bottom 10 Cities Where Driving Is Hardest
At the other extreme, WalletHub’s list places Philadelphia, Oakland, Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and San Jose among the worst cities to drive in the U.S.
In Philadelphia, drivers confront heavy congestion, aging roads, and high costs of ownership. Oakland, which often ranks last in national analyses, scores poorly for road quality, traffic, and safety. Washington, D.C., and New York City grapple with dense urban grids, high accident risks, and expensive parking, placing severe strain on drivers. Chicago and Los Angeles are similarly burdened by dense traffic, long commute times, and expensive infrastructure upkeep.
San Francisco also suffers from challenging topography, limited parking, and high costs of vehicle operation. Detroit, once the heart of the U.S. auto industry, struggles with deteriorating roads, high insurance and repair costs, and unpredictable traffic conditions. Cleveland and San Jose round out the bottom tiers, where aging infrastructure and congestion combine to make routine driving a more punishing experience.
Notably, many of the worst-ranked cities are major population centers where the scale of traffic, infrastructure demands, and density exacerbate challenges. These cities often face strains on maintenance budgets, legacy design constraints, and competing demands for land and transit resources.
What the Rankings Reveal—and What’s At Stake
The disparity between the best and worst cities for driving illustrates how local policy, infrastructure investment, and geographic patterns can shape daily life for millions. In the top-ranked cities, drivers are rewarded when municipal agencies maintain roads, limit congestion, and enable easier access to repair services. Conversely, in the bottom-ranked cities, decades of underinvestment, aging infrastructure, and high demand compound to create frustration, inefficiency, and additional expense.
Importantly, the difference is not just convenience—it has economic and environmental consequences. Time lost in traffic and fuel wasted in congestion contribute to financial burdens on households and businesses, and they add to carbon emissions and air pollution. The roughly $771 per-driver cost estimates help quantify what is often taken for granted: the hidden costs of mobility in modern America.
To close the divide, cities and states must invest aggressively in maintenance, smart traffic engineering, and safety interventions. Better planning of arterial roads, improved signal timing, dedicated lanes, and stronger preventive maintenance can go a long way. Moreover, integrating policy decisions—such as favoring congestion pricing, encouraging alternative mobility options, or targeting high-accident corridors—can help shift the balance.
Still, for the millions who rely on cars every day, the judgments aren’t academic; they’re personal. For many drivers, a good city is one where the commute is tolerable, the roads are dependable, and ownership costs don’t eat into every spare dollar. The WalletHub rankings underscore that where you live can make a profound difference—not just in quality of life, but in how much your car truly costs you.