For North Texas commuters, this will come as no surprise: our roads are choked with traffic.
Dallas-Fort Worth is home to 41 of the state’s most congested roadways, according to a new study by Texas A&M University’s Transportation Institute, which every year ranks the 100 most gridlocked streets in Texas.
On average, North Texans lost 69 hours sitting in traffic last year, the study found. Houston fared even worse, with drivers spending an average of 77 hours in traffic. In comparison, gridlock cost the average U.S. driver 63 hours.
Across the country, congestion has reached record levels, and Texas A&M researchers found travel patterns have shifted. Delays are not confined to traditional rush hours and are instead popping up midday and even on weekends.
“The numbers show more traffic than we’ve ever seen, but also a different kind of traffic,” David Schrank, senior research scientist and lead author of the study, said in a news release. “Hybrid work capabilities, online shopping and other changes in our daily lives have reshaped when and where congestion happens. This can create more unpredictability and make travel harder to plan.”
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Houston is home to the two most congested roads in Texas: West Loop near the Galleria and Memorial Park and Eastex Freeway, formally Interstate 69, designed to connect the U.S. to Mexico and Canada. Dallas’ Woodall Rogers Freeway, also known as Spur 366, ranked third.
To develop the rankings, researchers used Texas Department of Transportation data from 2024 to calculate the delay per mile of travel, or essentially, how much longer it takes to travel on a gridlocked road than to make the same trip without traffic. They analyzed more than 2,100 roads.
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Here are North Texas’ most congested roads:
3. Woodall Rodgers Freeway between U.S. Highway 75 and North Beckley Avenue, Dallas County
8. Interstate 35 West from State Highway 183 to Interstate 30, Tarrant County
11. I-30 from Jefferson Viaduct to East Grand Avenue, Dallas County
12. I-35 East (Stemmons Freeway) from S.H. 183 to I-30, Dallas County
13. U.S. 75 from Northwest Highway to Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Dallas County
14. Interstate 635 from I-35 East to U.S. 75, Dallas County
16. U.S. 75 from I-635 to Northwest Highway, Dallas County
17. Interstate 345 between U.S. 75 and U.S. Highway 175, Dallas County
18. State Highway 121 (Airport Freeway) from S.H. 183 to Northeast Loop 820, Tarrant County
23. I-30 from East Grand Avenue to Buckner Boulevard, Dallas County
26. Interstate 20 from I-35 West to U.S. Highway 287, Tarrant County
28. Northeast Loop 820 from I-35 West to Baker Boulevard, Tarrant County
30. U.S. 75 from the exit ramp for Legacy Drive to the Bush Turnpike, Collin County
32. I-35 East from Bush Turnpike to I-635, Dallas County
33. U.S. 75 from Bush Turnpike to I-635, Dallas County
35. I-635 from U.S. 75 to Garland Avenue, Dallas County
37. S. H. 183 (Airport Freeway) from State Highway 360 to State Highway 161, Dallas County
38. I-35 West from U.S. 287 to Northeast Loop 820, Tarrant County
40. I-635 from Garland Avenue to U.S. Highway 80, Dallas County
41. I-30 from East Loop 820 to S.H. 360, Tarrant County
52. University Drive from U.S. Highway 377 to Dallas North Tollway, Denton County
53. I-20 from U.S. 287 to S.H. 360, Tarrant County
58. Dallas North Tollway from Bush Turnpike to I-635, Dallas County
59. U.S. 80 from Collins Road to Pinson Road, Kaufman County
60. I-35 West from I-30 to I-20, Tarrant County
62. Walton Walker Boulevard from I-35 East to State Highway 356, Dallas County
63. I-35 West from Alliance Gateway to U.S. 287, Tarrant County
66. S.H. 360 from Airport Freeway to I-30, Tarrant County
69. I-30 from Walton Walker Boulevard to Jefferson Viaduct, Dallas County
70. S.H. 183 from S.H. 121 to S.H. 360, Tarrant County
72. I-20 from S.H. 360 to TX Spur 408, Dallas County
74. I-30 from President George Bush Highway to FM 3549, Rockwall County
75. I-35 East from I-635 to West Northwest Highway, Dallas County
80. Walton Walker Boulevard from S.H. 356 to I-30, Dallas County
82. I-20 from Texas Spur 408 to U.S. Highway 67, Dallas County
87. North Loop 820 from I-35 West to Jacksboro Highway, Tarrant County
91. S.H. 183 from North Walton Walker Boulevard to to I-35 East, Dallas County
92. I-35 West from Northeast Loop 820 to S.H. 183, Tarrant County
97. I-635 from U.S. 80 to I-20, Dallas County
98. State Highway 114 from I-35 West to Precinct Line Road, Denton County
99. I-35 East from I-30 to U.S. 67, Dallas County
