Best/Worst Cities To Drive Through

For me, it's Atlanta hands down. SO infuriating during daytime hours to mid evening. The traffic, the way people drive, the humidity, the fact that you start out going 285E but because its a loop you end up 285W so if your directions say one thing you have to double check where you are. Would be much simpler if they would do what Charlotte does with 485 and relabel the directions "inner" (clockwise) and "outer" (counter-clockwise).

A close second is Nashville with all the construction and the fact the highways all merge and split within a few miles. Sometimes you have to cross over multiple lanes to the left and then back over to the right depending on where you need to go. That can be real fun when traffic is heavy.

I'm a Northeast driver and I don't hesitate to go through NYC across the GWB. The traffic is what is, you just have to accept it. I do sometimes bypass if its backed up past the cross bronx. I NEVER take 287 all the way around, just way to many miles.

Connecticut isn't a city but it's my most hated place to drive through. Danbury to Hartford on 84 sucks, Hartford to New Haven on 91 sucks. New Haven to NY line on 95 sucks. Half the people want to drive twice the speed limit and the other half are to scared to drive more than 10 under.

My top five would look something like this:

1. CT (the entire state)
2. Atlanta
3. Nashville
4. Toronto
5. Houston

Chicago isn't that terrible unless you have to drive the loop.

 

I do mostly Left coast runs. No input on the I 95 corridor stuff.

The major metropolitan areas in Cali (LA basin and SF bay area) are kinda rough But I grew up in the stuff so have a slight immunity built up. Stockton and Bakersfield area can be frustrating.

Denver and Dallas are about a tie for self centered oblivious drivers

I dread Seattle. The Dot com fools moved up there to work for Microsoft and inbred.

Portland at rush hour. Especially when the draw bridge on I5 goes up.

Washington state Has a 60 MPH truck speed limit, Oregon and Cali are 55 for trucks. Makes for a long slow day.

 

We live in Chicago so it doesn't bother us. Dallas is the worst for us. Second is the Baltimore/D.C. area.

 

I actually like New York, NY traffic, it's predictable. They know where thier car is going to fit and have the confidence to put it there and not panic when things get tight. Anywhere else and people panic and brakes come on and kittens die. I would describe it as risky driving, but other places, like GA, TX and LA could be described as stupid dangerous.

 

The nice thing about NYC is that it's pretty easy to dodge in most cases. Chicago and LA are not as easy to avoid

 

Being mainly a Texas driver, I would rather take DFW/Houston rush hour any day over the Austin/San Antonio I35 stretch. You can route around the former. The latter provides no options save for an insane toll.

 

I won't go to Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, The whole West Coast, New York, Washington DC, Detroit, Buffalo, Baltimore, St. Louis, or Philadelphia.

 

Atlanta and Dallas are my least favorites
Salt Lake City is the easiest
Chicago the semi's think they are drafting on a Nascar track
LA is easy if you stay off the 10 and 5
but a multistop drop back and forth thru the city will beat you down
If I could move home to Newburyport Mass and never go south of 128 that would be ideal

 

I despise Houston. And it has nothing to do with the fact my ex lives there.

I95 corridor is a close 2nd.

 

Las Vegas would be bad but they allow trucks in the express lanes so it's one one the easy ones.