Ranking shows which cities in France are suffering the most, and least, from traffic jams

The 15th edition of the TomTom Traffic Index ranks 492 cities around the world based on congestion, travel times and speeds, offering an insight to traffic levels and driving conditions across France.

A total of 29 French cities feature in the ranking and, on average, congestion rates increased slightly in 2025 compared to the previous year, although six cities saw their congestion rates decrease.

In Paris the index fell from 44% to 40%, and in Toulon from 34% to 31%. The index also fell in Grenoble, Rouen, Brest and Nice. 

“Toulon is the only French city in the ranking where the average journey time has decreased, probably due to the widening of the A57 motorway to 2x3 lanes over 7 km,” states the TomTom press release.

The most congested days in 2025 fell on public holidays and long weekends:

• April 17 in Lyon (Easter)

• August 29 in Bordeaux (end of the school holidays)

• June 5 in Paris (Pentecôte weekend)

Most congested French cities

Lyon is the first French city to appear, ranking in 119th position with a 47.2% congestion level - that is, the “average additional time lost to traffic in 2025, compared to driving in free-flow conditions.” 

During rush hours, this rate rises to 80% in the morning and 90% in the evening, with drivers in Lyon spending an average of 121 hours in traffic jams during rush hour in 2025.

France’s top 20 most congested cities are as follows:

1. Lyon - 47.2% (121 hours lost during rush hour) 

2. Bordeaux - 43.5% (99 hours lost during rush hour)

3. Montpellier - 41.4% (85 hours lost during rush hour)

4. Paris - 40% (109 hours lost during rush hour)

5. Marseille - 39.4% (74 hours lost during rush hour)

6. Clermont-Ferrand - 38.9% (66 hours lost during rush hour)

7. Rouen - 37.1% (85 hours lost during rush hour)

8. Nancy - 36.6% (116 hours lost during rush hour)

9. Strasbourg - 36.6% (69 hours lost during rush hour)

10. Nantes - 36.6% (76 hours lost during rush hour)

11. Le Mans - 36.6% (62 hours lost during rush hour)

12. Grenoble - 36.4% (81 hours lost during rush hour)

13. Brest - 36.1% (77 hours lost during rush hour) 

14. Bayonne - 35.7% (54 hours lost during rush hour)

15. Nice - 34.8% (63 hours lost during rush hour)

16. Avignon - 34.8% (61 hours lost during rush hour)

17. Dijon - 34.4% (69 hours lost during rush hour)

18. Orléans - 34.3% (77 hours lost during rush hour)

19. Tours - 34.3% (74 hours lost during rush hour)

20. Rennes - 34.3% (69 hours lost during rush hour)

Congestion around the world

France was revealed to be the 24th most congested country in Europe (20%) the UK came in 5th position (27%), and Malta in first (45%). 

Mexico City (Mexico) ranked at the top of the worldwide TomTom Traffic Index with an average congestion of 75.9% in 2025, and 184 hours lost during rush hour. 

Dublin (Ireland) came in third place with 72.9% congestion with 191 hours lost to traffic jams during rush hour.

The first US city on the ranking is Los Angeles, in 25th position, with an average congestion of 59.8% and 83 hours lost during rush hour. 

Belfast is the first UK city, in 35th position (58.4% congestion), closely followed by Edinburgh in 36th position (57.9% congestion). 

Methodology

“The TomTom Traffic Index is built from anonymised GPS data and real driving speeds recorded across trillions of kilometers,” reads the TomTom website. 

Calculating the travel time in each city stems from multiple factors which can be grouped into “quasi-static factors” (road infrastructure, road sizes, speed limits) or “dynamic factors” (traffic congestion, roadworks, bad weather).

“The static factors determine the optimal travel time in a city, whereas the dynamic factors provide a basis to interpret traffic-flow changes - the sum of both gives us the travel time,” states TomTom.