California

California cities dominate list of places with worst commutes

Published

2 years ago

June 29, 2024

California cities dominate list of places with worst commutes

(NEXSTAR) – If you’re stuck in traffic every morning and every evening, is it comforting to know you’re not alone? The average American adult spends 219 hours a year – or more than nine full days – commuting every year, a new analysis by MoneyGeek found.

The personal finance site used data from the Census, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, TomTom, plus gas prices to determine where residents have the best and worst commutes.

Six of the 10 worst places for commuters are in California, MoneyGeek found.

It’s not just that drivers in Vallejo, San Jose, Stockton, Modesto and other California cities have to sit in traffic for a long time – though they do – but they have to pay out the nose to do so. Gas prices are high all around California, and residents in further suburbs (like Vallejo and Fairfield) are often driving longer distances to get into the office. (MoneyGeek factored in the cost of gas, but not the cost of public transit, in its report.)

To make matters even worse, commuters who drive to work risk damage to their car – or their own safety – every time they get behind the wheel. Crash rates weren’t highest in California cities, however. Drivers in Jacksonville, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and San Antonio, Texas, were more likely to experience a crash during their commute, MoneyGeek found.

The study combined these factors – commute time, rush-hour speed, crash rates and gas costs – to give of the country’s 124 largest metro areas a score. The 20 worst communities for commuters are:

Rank	Metro area	Score	Avg. 1-way commute (minutes)	Avg. rush-hour speed (mph)	Morning commute crash rate	Annual gas cost
1.	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	0.0	34	28	0.31	$1,792
2.	Stockton-Lodi, CA	5.2	35	28	0.20	$1,791
3.	Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	14.3	32	27	0.32	$1,099
4.	Modesto, CA	15.0	31	28	0.18	$1,582
5.	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	15.5	35	31	0.12	$1,931
6.	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	19.5	28	26	0.27	$1,367
7.	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	20.1	32	18	0.16	$1,042
8.	Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	21.3	28	31	0.35	$1,243
9.	Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	21.6	33	27	0.15	$1,133
10.	Jacksonville, FL	23.0	28	34	0.54	$1,202
11.	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	24.9	29	30	0.45	$1,015
12.	Birmingham-Hoover, AL	25.1	29	32	0.25	$1,161
13.	Baton Rouge, LA	25.3	29	29	0.48	$1,028
14.	Charleston-North Charleston, SC	25.6	30	26	0.36	$941
15.	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	27.5	33	23	0.21	$918
16.	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT	28.1	33	30	0.06	$1,492
17.	Albuquerque, NM	28.4	27	34	0.45	$1,167
18.	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	28.5	31	20	0.10	$1,066
19.	Worcester, MA-CT	28.8	31	29	0.10	$1,239
20.	Port St. Lucie, FL	29.1	31	27	0.15	$1,078

(Source: MoneyGeek)

If you’re looking for someone to be jealous of, look no further than Madison, Wisconsin. Drivers there benefit from low gas prices, rare crashes and short commute times, earning it the No. 1 spot for best commutes in the ranking.

The shortest average commute time overall was found in Wichita, Kansas. Meanwhile, drivers in the McAllen, Texas, metro area pay the least for gas every year. The award for fewest crashes was a three-way tie between Boulder, Colorado; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Trenton, New Jersey.

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California

Preliminary magnitude 3.3 earthquake strikes near San Ramon, USGS says

Published

6 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Preliminary magnitude 3.3 earthquake strikes near San Ramon, USGS says

SAN RAMON, Calif. (KGO) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.4 struck near San Ramon at 11:21 p.m. Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

USGS said the tremor was about 8.4 km in depth.

According to the Geological Survey, people typically report feeling earthquakes larger than about magnitude 2.5.

The closer to the surface an earthquake occurs, the more ground shaking and potential damage it will cause.

No injuries have been reported.

This is the latest quake in San Ramon, which has seen multiple strings of tremors in the past several months.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

MAP: Significant San Francisco Bay Area fault lines and strong earthquakes
Zoom in on the map below and compare where you live to the significant faults and where strong earthquakes have struck in the Bay Area.

Stay with ABC7 News for the latest details on this developing story.

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California

More SoCal rallies for and against military action in Iran expected on Sunday and Monday

Published

18 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

More SoCal rallies for and against military action in Iran expected on Sunday and Monday

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Worshippers across Los Angeles were met with an increased law enforcement presence on Sunday as police and sheriff’s deputies stepped up patrols outside mosques, synagogues and cultural landmarks following the strikes on Iran.

Local officials said there are no credible threats to Southern California, but the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department heightened visibility as a precaution to ensure communities stay safe.

More demonstrations tied to the attack on Iran are expected Sunday and Monday. Several protests were held across Southern California on Saturday.

READ MORE | Rallies for and against military action in Iran draw demonstrators across Southern California

While Iranian-Americans celebrated in Westwood, protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles to oppose the Trump administration’s attacks against Iran.

While some groups gathered in downtown Los Angeles to protest the strikes, others assembled in Westwood to celebrate “the fall of the Ayotollah,” according to organizers.

Authorities said they will continue monitoring events as the region prepares for additional gatherings in the days ahead.

This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

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