Think Your City Is the Worst for Drivers? There Can Be Only One ...

Think Your City Is the Worst for Drivers? There Can Be Only One ...

even as u.s. cities increase access to public transportation, 87 percent of daily trips still take place in personal vehicles, according to the bureau of transportation statistics. while many still choose to travel by car because of the comfort and reliability, drivers spend an average of 290 hours on the road each year. on top of that, the american society of civil engineers says the nation's highways and bridges need $836 billion of repairs.

in other words: driving in the u.s. can really suck. but it sucks a lot more in some cities.

detroit is known as the motor city, but it's also the city you might not want to be in if you're in a car. according to a new study by wallethub, among america's 100 largest cities, detroit is the worst for drivers.

think that your city is the absolute worst for traffic? (doesn't everyone?) see how your perception compares with the reality. the best cities for drivers, with no. 1 being the best, are:

25. boise, idaho

24. virginia beach, va.

23. mesa, ariz.

22. wichita, kan.

21. gilbert, ariz.

20. scottsdale, ariz.

19. charlotte, n.c.

18. nashville, tenn.

17. laredo, texas

16. fort worth, texas

15. lincoln, neb.

14. austin, texas

13. arlington, texas

12. las vegas

11. birmingham, ala.

10. tampa, fla.

9. jacksonville, fla.

8. el paso, texas

7. durham, n.c.

6. winston-salem, n.c.

5. plano, texas

4. greensboro, n.c.

3. orlando, fla.

2. corpus christi, texas

1. raleigh, n.c.

and the worst cities for drivers (no. 1 being the worst) are:

25. albuquerque, n.m.

24. buffalo, n.y.

23. hialeah, fla.

22. new orleans

21. stockton, calif.

20. aurora, colo.

19. milwaukee

18. jersey city, n.j.

17. long beach, calif.

16. cleveland

15. honolulu

14. san bernardino, calif.

13. san jose, calif.

12. baltimore

11. washington, d.c.

10. chicago

9. los angeles

8. newark, n.j.

7. new york

6. boston

5. seattle

4. philadelphia

3. oakland, calif.

2. san francisco

1. detroit

wallethub used 29 factors to measure which cities were the friendliest for drivers across four key categories: safety, cost of ownership and maintenance, traffic and infrastructure, and access to vehicles and maintenance.

detroit aside, other high-ranking members on the roster of awful cities for drivers are san francisco and oakland in the bay area of california as well as the city of brotherly love (but not drivers), philadelphia. at the other end, raleigh, followed by corpus christi and orlando, all show drivers some southern hospitality, coming in as the top three cities for drivers.

's editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. in line with 's long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don't accept gifts or free trips from automakers. the editorial department is independent of 's advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.