--- description: Jakarta, Istanbul, and Mexico City are ranked the world's worst cities for traffic jams, according to an index by motor oil maker Castrol. title: These Cities Have The Worst Traffic in the World image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt933e4dce4a73f0a4/69877d8f428a9e0ca2cc6f52/462734976.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [indonesia](/tag/indonesia/) ## indonesia Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # These Cities Have The Worst Traffic in the World, Says a New Index ## Video: Traffic Jams Are Costing You A Lot Of Money [Watch (HLS stream): Traffic Jams Are Costing You A Lot Of Money](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/IY4gsF4T.m3u8) (1:10)  _Published 2014-10-15. Traffic congestion cost Americans $124 billion in lost productivity in 2013 according to a new study._ by [Sabrina Toppa](/author/sabrina-toppa/) ## Sabrina Toppa Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 4, 2015 10:14 AM CUT  This picture taken on January 20, 2015 shows a gridlock in Jakarta's main road. Jakarta has just won the distinction of having the worlds worst traffic, according to a recent index. This picture taken on January 20, 2015 shows a gridlock in Jakarta's main road. Jakarta has just won the distinction of having the worlds worst traffic, according to a recent index.BAY ISMOYO—AFP/Getty Images by [Sabrina Toppa](/author/sabrina-toppa/) ## Sabrina Toppa Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 4, 2015 10:14 AM CUT Jakarta is the worst city in the world for traffic jams, according to new index created by motor oil company Castrol. Drivers in the Indonesian capital are [stopping and starting](http://magnatec.castrol.com/featured/stop-start-index.html#full-list "undefined") their cars 33,240 times per year on the road, a Castrol study found. Relying on information from TomTom navigation devices in 78 countries, the index used an algorithm to determine the number of times a car started and stopped per kilometer, then multiplied it by the average annual driving distance in the country. After Jakarta, the worst cities for traffic jams are Istanbul, Turkey; Mexico City, Mexico; Surabaya, Indonesia; and St. Petersburg, Russia. No American cities appeared in the top ten. _Take a look at the entire list_ [_here_](http://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/city-with-worst-traffic-jakarta-indonesia-tops-castrol-s-ranking-of-cities-with-most-stop-starts "undefined")_._ ### See the 10 Healthiest Cities to Live in America  Honolulu, Hawaii Best Place for Lifelong Health The heavenly climate helps, but the key to well-being here also includes enviable health care and a rich cultural tradition of looking out for one another. Colin Anderson—Blend Images/Corbis  San Francisco Bay Area, Calif. Best Place for Eating Right. The "farm to table" movement began here. The region's bounty of produce and year-round growing season make eating healthy—and local—a natural. Getty Images  Burlington, Vt. Best Place for Raising Healthy Kids This New England city offers great schools, excellent pediatric care, loads of culture and limitless options for healthy outdoor fun all year long. Matt Hogan/www.mphoganphoto.com  Silicon Valley, Calif. Best Place for Workplace Wellness With treadmill desks, meetings on bikes, time off for creativity, and gobs of organic food, tech titans are reinventing how to stay healthy on the job. Jim Wilson—The New York Times/Redux  Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Best Place for Aging Well Yes, it can be cold. But with a plethora of stimulating activities and a robust web of support, the Twin Cities prove that growing old doesn't mean slowing down. Getty Images  Denver and Boulder, Colo. Best Place for Keeping Fit The urge to get outside and get moving is contagious in these Rocky Mountain cities, where physical challenge is built into the landscape. Celin Serbo—Aurora Photos/Corbis  Plano, Texas Best Place for Staying Safe Once a rural outpost, this booming, diverse city has kept its small-town vibe, thanks in part to a police force and community that knows how to work together. Misty Keasler—Redux for TIME  Portland, Ore. Best Place for a Healthy Environment Small, walkable neighborhoods, 300 miles of bike paths, and urban policies that foster active living and sustainability make for one clean, green city. Getty Images  Boston, Mass. Best Place for Health Care This history-rich city is home to some of the nation's most advanced medical institutions and policies that help ensure that quality care is available to all. K.C. Cohen—Courtesy of Boston Children's Hospital  Provo and Orem, Utah Best Place for Spiritual Well-Being A stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop and a tight-knit population that lives its faith contribute not only to this region's serenity but also to lower rates of disease. Getty Images _Read next:_ [_9 out of 10 Chinese Cities Fail Pollution Test_](http://time.com/3692062/china-pollution-test/?xid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3695068/worst-cities-traffic-jams/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3695068/worst-cities-traffic-jams/"},"headline":"These Cities Have The Worst Traffic in the World, Says a New Index","datePublished":"2015-02-04T10:14:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:49:43.946Z","description":"And you thought your commute was bad?","url":"https://time.com/3695068/worst-cities-traffic-jams/","keywords":["indonesia","Transportation","cities","Traffic","istanbul","jakarta"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt933e4dce4a73f0a4/69877d8f428a9e0ca2cc6f52/462734976.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sabrina Toppa","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/sabrina-toppa/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt933e4dce4a73f0a4/69877d8f428a9e0ca2cc6f52/462734976.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"INDONESIA-SOCIAL-TRAFFIC","caption":"INDONESIA-SOCIAL-TRAFFIC","creditText":"BAY ISMOYO—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/indonesia/","name":"indonesia"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3695068/worst-cities-traffic-jams/","name":"These Cities Have The Worst Traffic in the World, Says a New Index"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Traffic Jams Are Costing You A Lot Of Money","description":"Traffic congestion cost Americans $124 billion in lost productivity in 2013 according to a new study.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/IY4gsF4T/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-10-15T22:38:10.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/IY4gsF4T.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3695068/worst-cities-traffic-jams/","duration":"PT1M10S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3695068/worst-cities-traffic-jams/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```