London drivers stuck in traffic for six days last year
New data has identified London as the slowest capital city in the world, with drivers stuck in traffic for the equivalent of six days last year.
According to the latest TomTom Annual Traffic Index, which examined data from 492 of the world’s largest cities, drivers in London spent 141 hours in traffic in 2025, with a one-kilometre journey through central London taking 3.40 mins on average.
This was two per cent slower than in 2024.
However, London was only ranked eighth in the UK when measuring congestion. Edinburgh was found to have the most congested roads, followed by Cambridge, Exeter, Brighton and Hove, Norwich and Hull – but ahead of Bristol and Southampton.
The least congested UK cities were Middlesbrough, Coventry, Leeds, Stoke and Inverness.
Slowest capital
TomTom traffic expert Andy Marchant said: “London’s place as the slowest capital city in the Traffic Index really highlights the strain on the city’s roads. Many of these streets were built in the Middle Ages and expanded in the Georgian era, but they simply weren’t built for the volume and variety of traffic we see today.”
He continued:
“There’s a growing shift towards cycling and alternative ways of getting around. Changes like the 20mph speed limits are starting to shape how people move and how safe those journeys are. It’ not just London. Congestion is rising in cities like Belfast, Edinburgh and Manchester too.”
