Hamburg remains the traffic jam capital of Northern Germany – commuters continue to suffer!

Hamburg remains the traffic jam capital of Northern Germany – commuters continue to suffer!

Hamburg will remain the traffic jam center of northern Germany in 2025, as the current “TomTom Traffic Index” shows. According to this study, which is based on anonymized traffic data from over 600 million vehicles and mobile devices, the average travel time for a ten-kilometer route in the Hanseatic city is 26.2 minutes. This puts Hamburg in fourth place in Germany, behind major cities such as Frankfurt am Main, Berlin and Leipzig.

There are also alarming trends in the immediate vicinity of Hamburg. The travel time for a ten-kilometer route in the Hamburg area increased by 32 seconds to 16.5 minutes. The index shows that the traffic situation in numerous cities, including Bremen and Hanover, also remains problematic. In Hanover, which is in seventh place, drivers average 24.7 minutes for a comparable route, while Bremen is in sixteenth place with 21.8 minutes.

Traffic jam statistics and causes

Although car traffic in Hamburg has decreased by around 11% since 2019, drivers spend an average of 144 hours in traffic jams during rush hour, according to [NDR]. The congestion level in the greater Hamburg area is currently 39 percent, which is higher than last year. The causes of the traffic problem are diverse and include high commuter traffic, port logistics and limited capacity in inner-city streets.

Particular traffic jam times have been identified: On weekdays at 8 a.m. it takes an average of 29.3 minutes to travel ten kilometers in the city center. Traffic density peaks at 2 p.m. on weekends with an average of 27.9 minutes. Things get particularly tough on Thursday at 4 p.m., when the journey time is almost 33 minutes. The Hamburg transport authority has already taken various measures to improve the situation, including digital solutions for traffic lights and better coordination of construction sites.

Outlook on the situation in Northern Germany

The traffic index not only shows worrying developments in Hamburg, but also in the surrounding cities. In the greater Bremen area, the average traffic jam level rises to around 36 percent and in Hanover to 29 percent. However, experts do not expect any noticeable relief in the traffic situation in the region in the short term. In particular, longer commutes, the decreasing use of home offices, a high density of construction sites and a growing number of vehicles contribute to persistently high traffic volumes.

In conclusion, it can be said that mobility in Northern Germany continues to face many challenges. Traffic planners and authorities are required to develop innovative solutions to improve the situation for drivers in the long term.