Bordeaux, the 2nd most congested city in France in 2025
Published every year, the TomTom report analyzes traffic in nearly 500 cities worldwide, including 29 in France, by measuring average congestion rates and the time lost by drivers. With a rate of 43.5%, Bordeaux remains one of the areas where slowdowns have the biggest impact on daily commutes. Bordeaux is no longer the most congested city in France… but it still holds firmly to 2nd place.
Knocked off the top… but still in the red
For 2025, Lyon takes the lead in the French ranking with a congestion rate of 47.2%, relegating Bordeaux to second place. The top 5 is rounded out by Montpellier (41.4%), Paris (40%), and Marseille (39.4%). This rate corresponds to the extra time needed to complete a 10 km journey when traffic is heavy, compared to a smooth-flowing situation.
In Bordeaux…water, this translates to 99 hours lost in traffic jams in 2025, which is one hour more than last year. The city remains one of the black spots of national traffic, while Paris, on the other hand, is seeing a noticeable improvement (–4 points).
A General Increase in Congestion Rate
Out of the 29 French urban areas studied, 22 are experiencing an increase in their congestion rate. In this overall context, the challenges in Bordeaux are not surprising: growing attractiveness, a saturated road network, and dependence on cars continue to put pressure on the major routes. The Bordeaux metropolis also ranks among the cities where the volume of kilometers analyzed by TomTom is the highest, confirming the intensity of local traffic.