Chicago traffic considered 3rd worst in US; Eisenhower stretch most congested in country, new ranking says

New York, Philadelphia traffic edge out Chicago for overall crown

ByABC 7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Chicago traffic considered 3rd worst in US; I-290 stretch most congested in country: ranking
Chicago traffic considered 3rd worst in US; I-290 stretch most congested in country: rankingWhile Chicago's traffic ranked 3rd worst in the US last year, a stretch of the Eisenhower was considered the most congested in the country.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago traffic is considered the third worst in the U.S., according to a new ranking.

INRIX Global Traffic released a report Tuesday based on traffic from last year that said Chicago came up behind New York and Philadelphia for drivers who spent the most time stuck behind the wheel. Chicago drivers lost 86 hours in traffic, while those in New York lost 100 hours, INRIX said.

That's despite the fact that Chicago traffic in 2020 was down 22% during the COVID pandemic.

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The report also said the Eisenhower Expressway between the Tri-State and the Jane Byrne Interchange is the most congested road in the entire country. In 2020, the stretch of roadway saw 41 hours of delays, down from 56 hours in 2019.

Last year, I-5 in Los Angeles topped the list at 80 hours of daily delay, but dropped completely out of the Top 25 of 2020.

Chicago ranks seventh worldwide for traffic congestion, right behind Paris.

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