Why is Atlanta traffic so terrible? (2023)

Does Atlanta have the worst traffic in the US?

The work – part of a critical electric infrastructure upgrade – will require authorities to pace traffic on this and nearby connecting highways, causing motorists to drive at a slow speed so that crews may safely perform the work.

Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic kept people home instead of out working, shopping and socializing, the Georgia Department of Transportation says traffic on our highways and interstates is now mostly back to normal.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - According to a survey found on car insurance saving app getjerry.com, Georgia drivers ranked as the fifth worst in the United States based on speeding, distraction and safety. The survey is based on the safety scores of 95,000 drivers from more than 22 million trips.

In the 1960s in an effort to promote Atlanta as a racially progressive city and to distinguish Atlanta from the racial violence occuring in other Southern cities, city leaders coined the moniker "The City Too Busy Too Hate." Belying this marketing slogan were the deeply embedded segregation laws, policies and practices ...

The worst cities for driving are New York City, Chicago, Miami, Austin, and Los Angeles. Chicago drivers lost an average of 104 hours to traffic congestion during peak rush hour in 2021.

The worst hours to travel through Atlanta is between the morning rush hour between 5 AM and 10 AM and in the evening between 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM. During these times, you will encounter the worst traffic on the Atlanta freeways with people going to and from work and school.

The morning rush hour in Atlanta starts as early as 4 a.m., and it can last as late as 10 a.m., but the worst of it begins around 6 or 7 a.m. In the evening, you can expect the worst traffic from 3:30 p.m. to at late as 7:30 p.m. This is a long stretch of time when the roads stay congested, so if you do not want to sit ...

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Delta virtually “owns” the world's busiest airport. Sure, the city is technically the landlord, but nothing of much import happens at Hartsfield without Delta's say-so. Part of this influence derives from location, seeing as it's headquartered right next to the runways.

Interstate 285, I-85 and the Georgia 400 are arguably the busiest and most congested in Atlanta. But there are some other dangerous roads to be aware of.

Is Atlanta getting safer?

According to the latest statistics by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the overall crime rate in Atlanta has declined in recent years. However, higher than average property crime rates and a relatively high violent crime rate mean that Atlanta is still not the safest city in the US.

Conditions for driving are good.

Rural and urban interstates both have a speed limit of 80 miles per hour and other roads are posted at 70 miles per hour. Hawaii has the overall lowest speed limits in the United States.

Atlanta was ranked as the city with the fourth-most aggressive drivers. It came in behind Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Sacramento, California. Atlanta drivers are 20 percent more aggressive than the average American driver, according to GasBuddy's report.

Crime is residents' top perceived issue facing metro Atlanta, according to the 2021 Metro Atlanta Speaks survey, released today by the Atlanta Regional Commission. One in three respondents said crime is the biggest challenge facing metro Atlanta, up from 16% in the 2020 survey.

London voted the most confusing city for driving

26% of survey respondents found London really confusing for driving in, which comes as no surprise, because not only do you have to navigate the many tricky one way streets, but there are so many signs, bus lanes, pedestrian crossings – and erratic drivers and cyclists!

Just try to get through town after 9 and before 3. If you have to come through during rush hour, it's not the end of the world. Just expect the trip to take 30-45 minutes longer. Also, you might want to run some searches on this forum on "rush hour" as similar questions get asked frequently.

What is the best day to drive through Atlanta?

It would be best to go on weekends when traffic would generally be lighter. Best time would be to go through it after 10pm, when traffic would be very light then. If you can't help going on weekdays though, try to plan your trip so that you drive to Atlanta at 9:30am to 10am. 2pm to 3pm is also another good option.

Interstate 285 (I-285) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway encircling Atlanta, Georgia, for 63.98 miles (102.97 km). It connects the three major Interstate Highways to Atlanta: I-20, I-75, and I-85.

Re: Is driving around Atlanta difficult? Driving in Atlanta is not an easy chore. However, the roads are marked extremely well. Interstates 75 and 85 go through the city from north to south.