Study ranks Philadelphia #1 ‘worst’ city in U.S. to drive in
Philadelphia has officially taken the top spot when it comes to frustrations behind the horn. In a new national study of driving conditions, Philly was ranked as the worst city in America to drive in according to WalletHub’s 2025 “Best & Worst Cities to Drive In” report.
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The report compared 100 of the largest U.S. cities using 30 key factors across categories such as:
- Traffic & Infrastructure
- Cost of Ownership & Maintenance
- Safety
- Access to Vehicles & Maintenance.
Philadelphia came in last overall, with especially poor marks in commute times, road quality, and driver safety.
According to WalletHub, Philly drivers spend some of the most hours stuck in traffic among major cities and face above-average costs for car repairs, parking, and insurance. The city’s aging infrastructure, pothole problems, and tight downtown layout all contributed to the low score.
The bottom ten cities on WalletHub’s list include New York, Oakland, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles — but Philadelphia ranked below them all, earning the distinction of being the most challenging city in the U.S. to drive in.
WalletHub’s analysis cited a combination of factors as to Philadelphia being the worst city to drive in:
- Traffic congestion and long commutes consistently rank among the worst in the nation.
- High vehicle costs, including maintenance, gas and insurance.
- Limited parking and poor road conditions, especially in high-traffic areas.
- Accident likelihood and safety concerns, which remain higher than the national average.
WalletHub’s Top 10 worst cities to drive in
- Philadelphia, PA
