This Is the Worst City in America for Driving

California's Oakland is last in WalletHub's rankings; Texas' Corpus Christi is the best city to drive in
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 10, 2023 12:04 PM CDT
This Is the Worst City in America for Driving
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/globalmoments)

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

  1. Corpus Christi, Texas
  2. Raleigh, North Carolina
  3. Boise, Idaho
  4. Plano, Texas
  5. Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 1 in "Traffic & Infrastructure" category)
  6. Greensboro, North Carolina (No. 1 in "Cost of Ownership & Maintenance" category)
  7. Laredo, Texas (No. 1 in "Safety" category)
  8. Lubbock, Texas
  9. Lincoln, Nebraska
  10. Jacksonville, Florida

Worst Cities
  1. Stockton, California
  2. Seattle
  3. New York (last in "Traffic & Infrastructure" category)
  4. Chicago
  5. Philadelphia
  6. Los Angeles
  7. Washington, DC
  8. Detroit
  9. San Francisco
  10. Oakland, California (last in "Cost of Ownership & Maintenance" category)
See how other cities fared here. (These are the best and worst states for driving.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X