Cincinnati drivers lose around 13 hours to traffic each year, which makes it No. 85 among U.S. cities with the worst traffic. Not bad! However, Cincy ranks No. 18 for cities with bad traffic with less than 3 million people.

Cincinnati, Ohio is one of America’s best midsize cities and has something for just about everyone: sports, museums, theaters, universities, architecture, food—the list goes on. Along with all of that variety, however, comes a downside—traffic.

How bad is traffic in Cincinnati, really? Well, despite it being the third-largest city in Ohio, it has the worst traffic. Yikes! The No. 1-rated

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Cincinnati car insurance costs

How bad is Cincinnati traffic?

The

2021 Global Traffic Scorecard

—a huge international study of traffic data—reported that Cincinnati is the 85th-most congested city in the United States. Cincinnati drivers were estimated to have lost 13 hours in traffic last year, costing them an average of $198 per year.

Pre-COVID, Cincinnati drivers lost 19 hours to traffic. However, with fewer restrictions and workers heading back to in-person jobs recently, Cincinnati traffic is quickly bouncing back to its regular patterns of congestion.

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The traffic tickets that have the greatest effect on your car insurance rates

Why is Cincinnati traffic so bad?

Congestion is caused by a multitude of factors, often including a city’s population, infrastructure, and driving trends. Here’s a look at what makes Cincinnati traffic so rough.

Driving habits

Cincinnati is known to have some of the worst drivers in Ohio—and America as a whole. According to a

2019 report

, Cincinnati drivers are involved in a car accident every 7.7 years on average; the national average is every 10 years. Nothing causes a traffic jam quicker than car accidents, and these seem to be more frequent on Cincinnati roads.

Major chokepoints

Despite being a midsize city, Cincinnati has three of the top 100 worst bottlenecks in America, holding its own with big traffic cities like

Augusta, Georgia

, and

Houston, Texas

. In fact, the I-71 at I-75 convergence is the second-worst chokehold in all of the U.S. Meanwhile, I-75/I-71 at I-275 sits at No. 24, and I-75 at I-74 is ranked No. 81.

For a smaller city with this many bottlenecks, traffic is sure to get backed up.

Road construction

As Cincinnati grows, the Ohio Department of Transportation has been working steadily to increase lanes and remedy the major congestion points, especially on I-75. While this will fare well for drivers in the future, constant road construction causes lane shutdowns and traffic jams for the time being.

MORE:

Ohio car insurance laws

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How to navigate Cincinnati traffic like a pro

Heavy congestion might all but make you lose your mind on the road. Unfortunately, it can also lead to a higher frequency of collisions. And road rage can impact your insurance costs

Ohio fatal crash rates this year are projected to be up from last year’s count of 252. But even non-fatal car accidents can do serious damage—to your car, body, and wallet. What’s worse, car wrecks can

cause your insurance rates to increase

substantially.

Despite the factors making Cincinnati traffic so insufferable, there are ways to navigate around congestion, avoid traffic accidents, and protect your wallet. Here are some key tips to getting around Cincinnati traffic with less friction:

Try to drive during off-times. Rush hour in Cincinnati starts hot and heavy around 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Then, the afternoon rush lasts from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. If you can, avoid hitting the highway during these times of major congestion.

Utilize back roads when possible. Interstates like I-75 can get severely backed up during rush hours. If you can’t avoid driving at that time, try to use more city streets and back roads instead of hitting the highway.

Check a traffic app to stay on top of traffic. Traffic apps like Waze offer real-time traffic updates, so you can route around any accidents, construction sites, or other obstacles on your drive.

Stay focused. No one can avoid traffic jams all the time, so when you get stuck in one, it’s imperative to be alert. That means keeping

distractions

like podcasts, snacks, or music to a minimum. Stay off your phone and always leave room between you and other cars.

MORE:

The 3 best apps for avoiding traffic jams

Prepare for Cincinnati traffic by updating your car insurance

With Cincinnati’s reputation for road congestion and not-so-great drivers, it’s probably a good idea to update your car insurance policy. That way, you can be sure you’re covered for any type of accident arising from bad traffic. But you don’t need to overpay for great insurance!

Traffic may be a hassle, but insurance shopping doesn't have to be. When you use

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