San Francisco, California – The most challenging city for driving in the U.S. is found in California, though it may not be where you expect. According to a recent Forbes Advisor study analyzing 47 metro areas, Oakland stands out as the worst city for drivers. This ranking is based on several criteria: the driving experience, safety, costs associated with car ownership, and ease of accessing vehicle maintenance. Oakland earned this undesirable ranking due to its high number of fatal accidents, steep gas prices, and extensive commute times.
Known locally as “The Town,” Oakland ranked second-worst for overall car ownership costs and placed ninth in driving experience, considering factors like commute distances and traffic delays.
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Nearby, “The City,” or San Francisco, ranked third-worst overall due to extremely slow commutes and having the highest gas prices across all surveyed cities. Additionally, the broader Bay Area ranked fourth in car theft rates.
Los Angeles was 11th on the list, mainly because of the high cost of owning a car. Safety and driving experience were also significant challenges, though the city does offer plenty of auto repair shops and amenities, securing a positive score for vehicle maintenance access.
Long Beach ranked 20th on the list, showing similar results. Out of 47 cities analyzed, five California cities landed among the worst for driving, while three made it to the top ranks. San Diego (6th), Fresno (9th), and Bakersfield (11th) stood out for their solid driving experiences, although Fresno and Bakersfield faltered in the safety category.
Raleigh, North Carolina, was crowned the best city for driving in the Forbes Advisor study, excelling in safety, driving experience, and vehicle ownership costs. The rankings relied on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the American Automobile Association, among others.
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Forbes Advisor’s full list, along with its detailed methodology, is available for review. While some of these metro areas may not be known for easy driving, a previous Forbes study discovered that some of the country’s best drivers still call these cities home.
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