Tuesday and Wednesday the worst days for traffic in Ottawa: TomTom

A new survey by TomTom shows Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons are the worst commuting times in Ottawa. CTV’s Tyler Fleming has more.

Ottawa commuters spent more than two days sitting in rush-hour traffic in 2025, with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons the slowest commuting periods.

The 2025 TomTom Traffic Index shows the average time to travel 10 kilometres increased 55 seconds in Ottawa last year from 2024 to 17 minutes and 27 seconds.

Commuters lost 71 hours due to rush-hour traffic in 2025, up from 55 hours in 2024.

TomTom’s annual traffic index shows Ottawa ranked 7^th in Canada for traffic congestion last year, up from 9^th in 2024, and ranked 219^th in the world, up from 307^th in 2024.

The average congestion level in Ottawa was 40.6 per cent last year, up from 26 per cent in 2024. The congestion levels were highest in September, October and November, with average congestion levels over 45 per cent.

Traffic levels increased in Ottawa in 2025 as more people returned to the office as part of return-to-office mandates, and construction on Highway 417 in the area of Parkdale and Bronson avenues slowed down traffic through the summer and fall.

The Traffic Index shows it took commuters an average of 19 minutes and 18 seconds to travel 10 kilometres during the morning commute in Ottawa, and 24 minutes and 29 seconds to complete a 10 kilometre journey during the afternoon commute.

According to TomTom, the worst time for traffic congestion in Ottawa was 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. It took an average of 27 minutes to travel 10 kilometres on Wednesdays and 26 minutes and 30 seconds on Tuesdays.

The 8 a.m. hour was the slowest commute hours during the rush hour, with an average time of 20 minutes and 30 seconds on Wednesdays and 20 minutes 20 seconds on Tuesdays to travel 10 kilometres.

The worst day for driving in Ottawa in 2025 was Feb. 18, with it taking drivers 15 minutes to drive 4.9 kilometres.

Vancouver is Canada’s most congested city with an average congestion of 56.5 per cent, according to TomTom, followed by Toronto, Halifax, Montreal and Quebec City. In Vancouver, it took drivers an average of 28 minutes and 34 seconds to drive 10 kilometres in 2025, while it took 26 minutes and 40 seconds to drive 10 kilometres in Toronto.

TomTom says the travel index is based on data from millions of-car navigation systems and smartphones.

Average time to drive 10 km in Ottawa during rush hour in 2024, according to TomTom data.

Morning commute

• Monday: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.: 15 minutes. 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: 17 minutes and 50 seconds.
• Tuesday: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.: 16 minutes and 20 seconds. 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: 20 minutes, 20 seconds
• Wednesday: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.: 16 minutes, 20 seconds. 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: 20 minutes, 30 seconds.
• Thursday: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.: 15 minutes, 50 seconds. 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: 20 minutes.
• Friday: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.: 17 minutes, 10 seconds. 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.: 16 minutes, 27 seconds.

Afternoon commute

• Monday: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: 20 minutes, 50 seconds. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: 22 minutes. 10 seconds. 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.: 19 minutes
• Tuesday: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: 23 minutes, 30 seconds. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: 26 minutes, 30 seconds. 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.: 22 minutes, 40seconds
• Wednesday: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: 23 minutes, 50 seconds. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: 27 minutes, 20 seconds. 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.: 23minutes, 10 seconds.
• Thursday: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: 22 minutes, 50 seconds. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: 25 minutes, 30 seconds. 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.: 22 minutes, 10 seconds.
• Friday: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: 20 minutes, 50 seconds. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: 21 minutes. 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.: 10 minutes, 30 seconds.