Washington, D.C., now holds a much-maligned record: the city with the worst traffic in the nation.

An annual report from Consumer Affairs showed the district has an average work commute time of 33.4 minutes, surpassing 2024 leader Los Angeles, which ranked No. 2 this year.

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Washington, D.C.’s, average length of weekday congestion is second only to LA at 6 hours and 35 minutes. Los Angeles has 7 hours and 51 minutes of weekday congestion.

Other cities on the list include Miami, San Francisco, and Atlanta. Miami saw the largest jump of any city within the top 10, going from No. 12 in 2024 to No. 3 this year.

However, the district ranked ninth lowest among cities with 5.95 fatal car crashes per 100,000 people. Consumer Affairs said, “Tracks with our 2024 analysis of where the worst drivers live, which ranked Washington in the bottom third of nearly 330 cities in dangerous driving.”

While Washington, D.C., residents could view the added traffic negatively, experts say there could be a positive takeaway.

“Congestion is oftentimes a sign of economic prosperity,” Michael Manville, an urban planning professor at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, told Consumer Affairs. A region with a growing economy attracts residents and keeps current residents because of opportunities, he said.

However, the population growth leads to traffic if road access isn’t regulated.

“Because we don’t do anything to regulate access, the roads in an area with a booming economy become overloaded and congested,” Manville added.

While population growth is one reason why Washington, D.C., has the added traffic, the specific cause is unclear.

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President Donald Trump and his administration’s new requirements for workers to come into the office could play a role. Many workers could work from home in previous administrations, which reduced traffic.

According to Consumer Affairs, the cities with the least traffic are Rochester, New York; Salt Lake City; Cleveland; Hartford, Connecticut; and St. Louis.