How Bad Is Sacramento Traffic?
Sacramento ranks 24th worst traffic in the United States. Annually, each driver loses 25 hours to congestion.
Written by Sophie Boka
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
When it comes to traffic, Sacramento ranks 24th worst in the nation. Annually, each driver loses 25 hours to congestion. As pandemic restrictions loosen, it’s expected to get even worse.
Sac City is the capital of California and seat of its legislature. Known for its politics, diversity, and ever-flowing rivers, it’s created quite the buzz. It won’t come as a shock, then, that it’s the fastest-growing city in the state. Unfortunately, with so much growth comes so much traffic—and the city ranks fourth-worst in the state and 24th in the country.
While Sacramento has many rankings to brag about, this surely isn’t one of them. But just how bad is the worst traffic? Here to give you a brief explainer is
Jerry
, your favorite pocket-sized car insurance
app. Read on for a breakdown of traffic statistics, ways to avoid unnecessary losses in Sacramento traffic, and how Jerry can help you keep your Sacramento insurance costs
low.How bad is Sacramento traffic?
Is 24th really that bad? Well, considering there are about 20,000 cities in the country, it’s up there. On average, Sacramento drivers lose 25 hours to congestion annually. And if you drive during rush hour, that average jumps to 67 hours. These losses end up costing around $383.32 per driver per year.
Unfortunately, these are pandemic numbers. As restrictions continue to loosen and more people move to Sacramento, these numbers will only increase.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversWhy is Sacramento traffic so bad?
So, yes. The traffic is bad in Sacramento. But why? Here are a few contributing factors.
Geography
California is known for its paradisal coasts and long, running roads. Yet there’s much more nuance to its geography, and Sacramentans know this well. Unlike most of the bigger cities, the capital is nestled inland. Unfortunately, this means its population is concentrated on tighter roads, which increases traffic.
MORE: Best road trips from Sacramento
Population
During the pandemic, many big cities’ populations plummeted as their citizens moved out. This didn’t happen in Sacramento though. In fact, the opposite did. And an increase in population leads to an increase in cars.
What’s more, the city’s high rents push lower-income earners outside of the city, increasing the number of commuters. All of this leads to massively congested roads.
Infrastructure
The city’s infrastructure just isn’t built to handle its population load. Think about the bottlenecks on the Exposition Boulevard and E Street ramps onto the Capital City Freeway. What’s worse is the horrible congestion on the Howe Avenue and Watt Avenue bridges.
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How to navigate Sacramento traffic like a pro
Nothing makes you want to pull your hair out more than being stuck in traffic. But unfortunately, traffic doesn’t only lead to existential pain. It also leads to a spike in accidents—both fender benders and more serious incidents. In turn, these accidents increase your car insurance rate.
So what can you do while you wait for legislators to take action? Here are a few suggestions:
- Avoid rush hour if possible. On weekdays, Sacramento rush hour usually falls between 7am to 9am and 2pm to 6pm. You can’t always avoid the road during these hours. But see if you can’t tweak your timing a bit and avoid the roads at their worst: 7am to 8 am and 5pm to 6 pm.
- Take the scenic route. Sacramento sure is pretty, so why not enjoy the view? Main roads may be more direct, but when they’re congested, you could spend the same amount of time in motion on back roads.
- Get the local traffic report. If you want to map your best route, listen to the local traffic report. Sac City can get its news on 93.1 FM or 1530 AM.
- Keep your eye on the road. The roads are congested. All that’s in your control is to keep as much distance as possible between your vehicle and others. One second of distraction could be the difference between safety and an accident. As tempting as they are, the snacks and the screens can be saved for home.
Prepare for Sacramento traffic by updating your car insurance
You may not be able to control what happens on the road, but you can control your level of protection. The best way to do this is to update your car insurance policy.
Sacramento drivers lose $383.32 every year due to traffic. What if you could save an average of $800+? Drivers who switch with Jerry do!
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Reviewed on 5/28/2023
What time is traffic the worst in Sacramento?
During the workweek, traffic is worst between 3pm and 5pm. Over the weekend, it's worst between 12pm and 2pm.
Is Sacramento hard to drive in?
Sacramento is one of the more difficult cities to drive in due to its congestion and higher gas prices.
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