L.A. traffic is actually getting better. That's not entirely a good thing. Here's why

"Los Angeles has experienced more than its share of struggles in the last few years. But when it come to one of the things that drives residents crazy, there are signs of slight improvement. New data show that the home of Carmageddon, the SigAlert and road rage has actually seen traffic congestion get a bit better. Los Angeles was the 10th-most congested city in the world in 2025, according to the Global Traffic Scorecard from INRIX, a transportation analytics firm."

"That's not exactly something to brag about, but L.A. was the eighth-most-congested in 2024. Compared to other major U.S. cities, L.A.'s congestion ranked fourth, behind Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia, the scorecard found. Throughout the mid-to-late 2010s, L.A. routinely ranked as having the worst traffic congestion anywhere in the world. So what is going on? Experts cite several theories: Reworked commuting habits spurred by the COVID pandemic"

"That's not to say L.A. drivers had it easy, though. In 2025, the average Angeleno driver still spent 87 hours - more than three full days - sitting in traffic, down from 88 hours the year before, according to the report. Not surprising The flat or declining congestion numbers were not a surprise given the persistence of working from home in the post-pandemic era, said Michael Manville, a professor of urban planning at UCLA."

Los Angeles traffic congestion eased modestly in 2025, moving from eighth-most congested in 2024 to tenth globally. Within the United States, Los Angeles ranked fourth in congestion behind Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia. The city previously ranked worst worldwide in the mid-to-late 2010s, creating a high baseline that makes small improvements more likely. Contributing factors include reworked commuting habits after the COVID pandemic, persistent downtown office vacancies, and the already severe congestion baseline. Average drivers spent about 87 hours in traffic in 2025, down from 88 the prior year, reflecting roughly a 1 percent year-over-year decline.

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