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If you’ve ever spent an evening sitting in traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway or circling a too-narrow block looking for parking, there’s now a national ranking to back up your frustration.
Philadelphia was named the worst city in America to drive in for the second consecutive year, according to WalletHub’s 2026 Best and Worst Cities to Drive In report, released Oct. 6.
The personal finance website compared the country’s 100 largest cities across 30 indicators, including congestion, vehicle ownership costs, infrastructure, safety and access to maintenance.
Philly finished dead last with a score of 36.35 out of 100, narrowly trailing Washington at 36.36. Los Angeles ranked 98th and New York City 97th. Pittsburgh fared considerably better at 62nd.
Scottsdale, Arizona, ranked first in the country, scoring 63.32 out of 100.
So, what’s making Philadelphia such a headache for drivers?
The city ranked 96th for traffic and infrastructure, 95th for safety, 76th for ownership and maintenance costs and 77th for access to vehicles and maintenance.
Among individual measures, Philadelphia tied for 91st in car theft rates, ranked 78th for average parking rates and tied for 65th in annual hours spent in congestion per automobile commuter.
Traffic safety statistics offer additional context. According to PennDOT data reported by WHYY, 89 people died in traffic crashes on Philadelphia streets in 2025, down from 120 deaths in 2024.
In response to a Billy Penn inquiry, AAA said they were not able to independently verify WalletHub’s study and pointed to a report from Philadelphia’s Vision Zero program which found that 80% of traffic deaths and serious injuries occurred on just 12% of city streets.
“That points to the value of identifying and improving high-risk corridors, rather than treating the entire city as equally dangerous,” said AAA spokesperson Jim Lardear.
In July, City Controller Christy Brady reported that Philadelphia recorded 9.04 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents in 2024, compared with 7.15 in Chicago and 2.86 in New York City.
The city has expanded automated speed enforcement to address some of those dangers.
According to a September city report, speeding violations along Roosevelt Boulevard have decreased 95% since cameras were installed in 2020. On Broad Street, violations dropped 67% through March 2026 after the city installed cameras last September.
Philadelphia plans to expand enforcement to additional corridors, but WalletHub’s findings suggest the city’s driving challenges extend well beyond speeding.
