Top 10 most congested highways in the U.S.

ATRI published its annual list of the most congested highways, details here.

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) recently released its 13th annual list of the most congested highways, bottlenecks, for trucks in the United States. Prominent states included Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston, making multiple appearances.

The list evaluates congestion at over 325 points on the national highway network using GPS data from freight trucks. This analysis employs custom software applications and methods, along with extensive truck operation data, to classify congestion impact at each location. ATRI’s truck GPS data also supports various state and federal initiatives for freight mobility. The list comprises the 100 most congested points, yet ATRI continually monitors over 325 critical freight transportation points.

Top 10 most congested highways

For the sixth consecutive year, New Jersey tops the list as the most congested bottleneck in the country. The top 10 highways on the 2024 list are:

Fort Lee – I-95 on State Route 4
Chicago – I-294 on I-290/I-88
Chicago – I-55 I-55
Houston – I-45 on I-69/US 59
Atlanta – I-285 on I-85 (North)
Atlanta – I-20 on I-285 (West) I-20 on I-285 (West)
Los Angeles – SR 60 on SR 57
Houston – I-10 on I-45
Atlanta – I-285 on SR 400
Nashville – I-24/I-40 on I-440 (East)

This year’s list includes familiar highways along with some newcomers to the top 10, such as Chicago’s I-55, not even listed in 2023, Houston’s I-10/I-45, and Atlanta’s I-285/State Route 400. Houston leads with nine entries in the top 100, followed by Atlanta with eight, Chicago with six, and Washington D.C. with five.

ATRI’s analysis, based on 2023 data, indicates worsening traffic conditions, partly attributed to construction zones due to infrastructure investment. The average truck speed during peak hours decreased by four percent compared to the previous year, reaching 34.4 MPH, while at the top 10 congestion points, the speed was 28.5 MPH.

ATA President and CEO Chris Spear noted that national highway congestion adds $95 billion to freight transportation costs annually and generates 69 million metric tons of excess carbon emissions each year. He emphasized the need to invest infrastructure funds more efficiently to enhance road safety, protect the environment, and facilitate interstate commerce.