Portland, Oregon is ranked as the 11th worst city for traffic congestion. While the roads will be busy at any time, you’ll want to make a point of staying off of them between 7:15–9 a.m. and 3–6:30 p.m. to avoid the rush hour traffic.

With its Saturday Market and thriving art scene, there are a lot of reasons to live in Portland. Unfortunately, all those attractions also mean having to contend with some of the worst traffic in the nation.

To avoid wasting your time sitting in a traffic jam, you’ll want the expert advice of the

car insurance

app

Jerry

. In this article, you’ll find out exactly how bad Portland’s traffic problem is, why it’s so awful, and how you can go about avoiding the worst of it. We'll also show you how to avoid high

Portland car insurance costs

How bad is Portland traffic?

As mentioned before, Portland has the dubious honor of being the 11th worst city when it comes to daily traffic. Of course, that doesn’t mean much without some statistics to put it into context.

The average Portland driver will spend about 48 hours every year sitting in traffic and lose around $750 to wasted gas and extra wear on their vehicle. So if you’ll be driving regularly in Portland, you might want to stock up on entertainment like podcasts, audiobooks, or your favorite playlists!

MORE:

The top podcasts for road trips and long drives

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Why is Portland traffic so bad?

Between the number of cars on the road, outdated infrastructure, and the habits of local drivers, there’s a lot at play when it comes to congestion on the roadways. However, it’s the unfortunate blend of these individual issues that results in mile-long traffic jams.

Driving population

The Portland metropolitan area has a population of around 2.5 million people, and 59% of them drive alone to work every day. That means the city sees over a million cars on the road during rush hour, and just a few accidents or lane closures can bring a good portion of that traffic to a stand-still.

MORE: The best type of car insurance to get if you commute long distances

Major bottlenecks

The interstates and highways are the quickest way to get from one side of Portland to the other, but that means that they’ll see the most traffic on a day-to-day basis. The roadways impacted the most by commuting residents are:

Interstate 5—north and southbound

Interstate 84—eastbound

Oregon 217—southbound

Interstate 405—southbound

Interstate 205—north and southbound

MORE: How to check for Oregon road closures

Driving habits

Portland sees 10–12,000 car accidents every year, which averages out to around 27–32 collisions on any given day. While that may seem like it only affects a small number of drivers when compared to the total driving population, it only takes a single ill-timed accident to shut down a lane or two of a major highway.

A fair number of these accidents are due to people

driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI)

, but

distracted driving

and speeding are major contributing factors as well. Be sure to keep your eyes on the road and your speed within the posted limit when driving in Portland, or you may be the one making someone else late to work for a change.

MORE: How long does a speeding ticket stay on your record?

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How to navigate Portland traffic

To avoid the worst of Portland’s traffic, you’ll want to have a game plan before hitting the road. Some of the best things you can do are:

Pay attention. Aside from keeping you safe, being aware of the road conditions around you can get you off of a highway or interstate before you find yourself stuck in a traffic jam.

Make use of technology. Between

apps to avoid traffic jams

on your phone and local radio stations like 101.1 FM KXL or 1190 AM KEX, you can find out about recent accidents or lane closures to avoid before you run into them on your own.

Take a back road. Though the highways and interstates are often the quickest, knowing a few alternative routes can give you the edge over other drivers when the roads are congested.

Don’t drive during rush hour. Though this may not always be an option, avoiding the roads around Portland during the peak hours of 7:15–9 a.m. and 3–6:30 p.m. will allow you to stay out of the worst traffic.

MORE: What is highway hypnosis?

Prepare for Portland traffic by updating your car insurance

Regardless of how well you plan, you’ll eventually have to deal with traffic in Portland. To keep your car safe and ensure your peace of mind, you’ll want to get the right

car insurance

for the job. Luckily, the car insurance super app

Jerry

can help you do that quickly and easily.

Jerry is a licensed insurance broker with access to the best quotes on offer from a selection of more than 50 insurance companies. How good are these quotes exactly? Well, the average driver that insures their car through Jerry sees $887 in saving every year. What’s even better is that it takes less than two minutes to access these amazing savings with Jerry's

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To make things even easier for you, Jerry will also help you cancel your old insurance policy and send you a new selection of quotes when it comes time to renew your coverage. It’s never been so easy to save hundreds every year, so get the Jerry app right away!

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FAQs

Is Portland hard to drive in?

Portland can be a challenging place to drive in, even for experienced drivers. Between bus-only lanes, bicyclists, and a large number of pedestrians, there’s a lot to be on the lookout for.

What is the best time to drive through Portland?

You’ll have to contend with traffic at any time while driving through Portland, but the peak traffic hours to avoid are between 7:15-9 a.m. and 3-6:30 p.m.

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