Getting behind the wheel can mean a nice, leisurely cruise with nary a pothole—or it can be a chaotic, horn-honking nightmare through congested city streets. WalletHub looked at the 100 most populated US cities to see where drivers have it easiest, using 30 metrics across three main categories: safety, which includes everything from traffic fatality rates to car thefts, the heft of DUI punishments, and the share of adults who wear seatbelts; traffic and infrastructure (commute times, the quality of roads and bridges, and the number of days with precipitation); and cost of ownership and maintenance. The website determined Oakland, California, is the least desirable city to drive in, while Corpus Christi, Texas, offers the best experience. The top and bottom 10 in WalletHub's rankings:
Best Cities
- Corpus Christi, Texas
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Boise, Idaho
- Plano, Texas
- Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 1 in "Traffic & Infrastructure" category)
- Greensboro, North Carolina (No. 1 in "Cost of Ownership & Maintenance" category)
- Laredo, Texas (No. 1 in "Safety" category)
- Lubbock, Texas
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- Jacksonville, Florida
Worst Cities - Stockton, California
- Seattle
- New York (last in "Traffic & Infrastructure" category)
- Chicago
- Philadelphia
- Los Angeles
- Washington, DC
- Detroit
- San Francisco
- Oakland, California (last in "Cost of Ownership & Maintenance" category)
See how other cities fared
here. (These are the
best and worst states for driving.)