These 7 Florida cities have the worst rush hour drives in America, study finds

Central Florida tops worst traffic list and I-4 gets special mention

Traffic on Interstate 4 can be a nightmare. In fact, two areas of that highway in Central Florida were ranked among the worst in the nation, and one of those areas is right by the theme parks. But there’s a glimmer of hope as we have learned of new details from the Florida Department of Transportation about plans to alleviate the congestion.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A recent study analyzed traffic data to identify the top 20 cities with the worst commute in the U.S., and at least seven metro areas in Florida made the list.

MoneyGeek analyzed four core factors to come up with their ranking: average commute time, average rush hour speed driven, cost of gas and morning commute fatal crash rates.

Can you guess which Florida metro area ranked the highest on the list? (And no, it’s not Orlando, but it did make the list.)

Of the 20 cities, the Lakeland-Winter Haven area ranked No.3. Two California cities – Stockton and Riverside – topped the list at 1 and 2.

According to the study, Lakeland-Winter Haven residents spend on average, 31 minutes commuting, driving at a speed of 27 miles per hour. They spend roughly $1,201 per year on gas.

In the Orlando metro, which ranked at No. 13, residents spend roughly the same amount of time commuting, driving at the same speed as Lakeland area residents, but spent slightly less ($1,167) annually on gas.

See the full list below to see how Florida cities ranked in comparison to others across the country.