If you’ve ever found yourself inching along I-85 or the Downtown Connector during what feels like an eternal crawl, you’re not alone.
A fresh analysis from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s 2025 Urban Mobility Report reveals that Atlanta drivers are wasting a staggering 87 hours annually stuck in traffic — up from previous years as post-pandemic travel patterns refuse to normalize.
Yes, Atlanta Traffic Is Getting Worse
The report highlights a dramatic shift: congestion now stretches across six hours each day, with the absolute worst snarl-ups hitting between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., when delays can balloon travel times by up to 50% or more.
But it’s not just the evening exodus that’s choking the city’s arteries. Mornings remain a battleground, particularly from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., where a heat map of peak periods shows gridlock rivaling the afternoon rush.
And in a twist that might surprise long-suffering commuters, Thursdays have dethroned Fridays as Atlanta’s most congested day of the week.
Researchers attribute this to “compressed travel times” — with more people squeezing errands and outings into fewer days — leading to heavier loads and less predictable flows on what used to be a relatively milder midweek slog.
“Travel patterns have evolved,” noted Dr. Tim Lomax, a co-author of the Texas A&M report. “We’re seeing delays bleed into non-traditional hours, turning what was once a predictable rush into an all-day affair.”
The study, which crunched data from 101 U.S. urban areas, ranks Atlanta among the top 10 for overall congestion, with drivers collectively losing over 261 million hours on the road last year alone.
Complementing the Texas A&M findings, the latest TomTom Traffic Index for 2024 (with early 2025 indicators mirroring trends) provides granular hourly insights into average one-way commute speeds across the metro area.
When Is the Best Time To Travel Through Atlanta?
Based on billions of kilometers of anonymized GPS data, it paints a clearer picture of when to hit the brakes — or avoid them altogether.
On a typical weekday, the sweet spot for smooth sailing is the wee hours before dawn, while late afternoons spell doom for anyone not already hunkered down with a podcast.
To help you plan your next drive, we’ve compiled average weekday travel times for a standard 10-kilometer (about 6-mile) trip through Atlanta, ranked from best (fastest, least congested) to worst (slowest, most gridlocked)
These figures average data across Monday through Friday, showing how even a short jaunt can stretch into frustration.
Average Atlanta Commuter Times
| Time of Day | Average Travel Time (10 km) |
|---|---|
| 5:00 AM | 7 min 24 s |
| 4:00 AM | 7 min 32 s |
| 3:00 AM | 8 min 36 s |
| 6:00 AM | 8 min 47 s |
| 2:00 AM | 9 min 21 s |
| 1:00 AM | 9 min 35 s |
| 12:00 AM | 9 min 47 s |
| 11:00 PM | 10 min 20 s |
| 10:00 PM | 10 min 37 s |
| 9:00 PM | 11 min 2 s |
| 8:00 PM | 11 min 43 s |
| 10:00 AM | 12 min 9 s |
| 11:00 AM | 12 min 22 s |
| 7:00 AM | 12 min 28 s |
| 12:00 PM | 13 min 16 s |
| 7:00 PM | 13 min 29 s |
| 9:00 AM | 13 min 35 s |
| 1:00 PM | 13 min 41 s |
| 2:00 PM | 14 min 20 s |
| 8:00 AM | 15 min 16 s |
| 3:00 PM | 16 min 2 s |
| 6:00 PM | 16 min 46 s |
| 4:00 PM | 18 min 1 s |
| 5:00 PM | 19 min 26 s |
As the table illustrates, zipping through town at 5 a.m. clocks in under 7.5 minutes for that 10 km stretch — a commuter’s dream.
But dare to depart at 5 p.m., and you’re looking at nearly 20 minutes of brake lights and frustration, a 160% increase over free-flow conditions.
Experts warn that without major interventions — like expanded MARTA rail lines or smarter traffic signaling — these trends could worsen.
The Atlanta Regional Commission echoes this, noting Atlanta’s average one-way commute already hovers at 32 minutes, fifth-highest in the nation.
For now, savvy drivers are turning to apps like Waze for real-time detours or opting for hybrid work schedules to dodge the peaks.
If you’re tired of the crawl, consider carpooling via the region’s Xpress buses or timing your trips for those golden pre-dawn windows.
Need more tips? Read our guide on how to beat Atlanta traffic.
Final Word
Atlanta’s roads may not get any wider, but a little foresight could save your sanity — and your schedule. Stay tuned for updates as the holiday rush threatens to turn these bottlenecks into full-blown parking lots.
