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Traffic Congestion in Oregon Returns to Pre-Pandemic Levels, Costing Motorists Time and Money Top Stories By Lucille McNamara On Dec 7, 2025 Last updated Dec 7, 2025 FILE - Interstate 5 - Interstate 84 Interchange in Portland | Photo by Seth Smigelski Traffic congestion throughout Oregon has returned to pre-pandemic days, but it is the Portland Metro area that costs motorists the most time and money. On average, Portland-area commuters spend 41 hours stuck in traffic at an annual cost of $755, according to Inrix, a traffic analytics company that has released its 2025 Traffic Scorecard. Tidings Data Snapshot Portland Metro Congestion (2025) 41 hours Average annual time lost in traffic per Portland-area commuter $755 Estimated annual congestion cost per driver in Portland metro 25th Portland’s U.S. congestion rank in the latest INRIX scorecard 91% Share of Oregon’s congested corridors located in the Portland metro area Sources: INRIX 2025 Traffic Scorecard, ODOT State-of-the-System reporting referenced in article Dailytidings.com According to a State-of-the-System Report by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), traffic congestion has increased statewide by 4% since 2023, reverting commute conditions to pre-pandemic levels. However, 91% of Oregon’s 444 congested traffic corridors are in the Portland Metro area. Highway 26 is the Most Congested Traffic Corridor in Oregon Ranked as the most congested traffic corridor in Oregon is Highway 26, between the Highway 217 Interchange via the Vista Ridge tunnels. ODOT confirms that the Interstate bridge and I-5 at I-84 rank as the 128 th and 30 th most congested truck bottlenecks. Inrix found that last-mile speeds by motorists into downtown Portland during the morning commute slow to a crawl of 14 m.p.h., wasting time, gas, and costing businesses money. Portland Ranks as the 25 th Most Traffic Congested in the U.S. Portland is ranked as the 25 th most traffic-congested city in the U.S., and 113 th globally for the worst congestion, costing drivers hundreds of dollars in gas, vehicle maintenance, and tolls. Metric What your story reports Why it matters Annual delay per commuter 41 hours Shows Portland is back to pre-pandemic style delay levels Annual cost per driver $755 Puts the time loss into household budget terms Where congestion is concentrated 91% of Oregon’s congested corridors in Portland metro Explains why statewide congestion debates focus on the metro ODOT long view Population +25% vs VMT +9% since 2000 Supports demand management, transit, and bottleneck targeting Inrix based its findings after analyzing traffic congestion patterns in more than 900 cities in 36 countries. ODOT says while it cannot build its way out of traffic congestion, its focus is on relieving bottlenecks and areas with high accident rates. Its responsibility is to ensure efficient traffic flow on interstates and highways, and to connect bike-ways and walkways along those routes. Tidings Data Snapshot ODOT’s Congestion Reality Check +25% Oregon population growth since 2000 +9% Statewide vehicle miles traveled growth since 2000 52% Oregonians who say they would take transit if service improved 42% Oregonians who say they would walk or bike with better connections Source: ODOT State-of-the-System – Mobility page and 2023 Transportation Needs and Issues Survey Dailytidings.com Share Twitter Facebook ReddIt WhatsApp Pinterest Email