How bad is traffic in Dallas? One study says it’s only getting worse (2024)

Dallas roads are getting more congested, according to a new traffic study.

Transportation data and analytics company INRIX studied hundreds of cities around the world and found that post-COVID, traffic patterns are still adjusting, with a new midday rush hour and different peak travel times.

Traffic in Dallas has increased 12% compared to before the pandemic, according to the company’s 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard. The report ranked Dallas as the 17th most congested city in the country.

Long-distance commuting has surged across the country after the pandemic, according to a study by Stanford University researchers. On average, people who work in Dallas have added 35 miles per trip to their commutes. “Super commuting” more than 75 miles to work has increased 29% post-pandemic, the study found.

Bob Pishue, the traffic scorecard’s author and a transportation data analyst at INRIX, said Dallas doesn’t have as much traffic as other large metros, despite its size. Toll roads and public-private partnerships give the city more ways to address transportation issues to alleviate traffic.

“Texas is always looking at interesting ways to finance and deliver infrastructure, and that is not that common in other states or areas,” Pishue said. “Dallas isn’t afraid to build.”

While the city isn’t among the country’s most congested, Dallas drivers still face busy roads every day.

“If you’re sitting in it, it sucks,” Pishue said. “[But] for its size, it does pretty well in terms of traffic congestion and delay.”

The average driver in Dallas lost 38 hours due to congestion in 2023, a six-hour increase from 2022, costing $658 in wasted time. This was slightly below the national average of 42 hours. The value of time lost in traffic was based on the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s 2016 guidance, which puts one hour in traffic at $17.45 after adjusting for inflation. The value takes into account a population’s average hourly income, demographics, mode of transportation, purpose of travel, distance and other factors.

Dallas’ U.S. Highway 80 eastbound from Interstate 635 to FM 548 in Forney was the 11th most congested corridor in the country, with drivers losing 66 hours due to traffic on that corridor alone. Its peak congestion is reported around 5 p.m., the study found. The Texas Department of Transportation is in the process of expanding that route from two lanes to three in each direction as the Kaufman County city ranks among the fastest-growing in the country.

Interstate 30 westbound from St. Francis Avenue to Interstate 345 is the city’s second busiest corridor, with an average delay of 34 hours annually for Dallas drivers. Third was North Walton Walker Boulevard.

The company has published an annual report on traffic patterns for more than 15 years. The scorecard looks at nearly 1,000 cities across 37 countries to see how traffic is changing and uses anonymized data from trucking fleets, delivery vehicles, passenger vehicles, mobile apps and more.

The pandemic changed traffic patterns, but congestion is ramping back up as people return to offices. Still, Pishue sees a “new normal” on the roads. Dallas is one of many American cities experiencing a new midday traffic rush as work schedules are more flexible and many people work from home.

INRIX found a 23% increase in midday trips in the U.S. compared to before the pandemic. Almost as many trips are made nationwide at noon as at 5 p.m., the report said. Work hours and changes to the traditional workday have also affected traffic patterns. Across the country, the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. each saw a higher volume of trips than 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Another change has occurred in downtown trips. In Dallas, Pishue said the downtown holds only about 2% of the region’s jobs, and the pandemic deemphasized, to different degrees, downtown areas across the country as economic centers. But in 2023, the city’s downtown trip volume was up 3% and the average speed for drivers downtown was 16 mph.

The scorecard put New York City as the most congested city in the world, followed by Mexico City and London. According to the report, traffic congestion shows economic growth but also means lost time and money for commuters.

The report helps cities identify problems in transportation systems and address issues relating to traffic patterns, Pishue said.

“Those that do it best, at least right now, are looking at these post-COVID travel patterns and adjusting,” Pishue said. “That’s what it’s about, is being able to adjust more frequently.”