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Here are the most congested places in the capital

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The Editor

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We know that driving around Paris is never a walk in the park. With bikes, traffic lights, road work, and other drivers, the obstacles are endless, often leading to huge traffic jams. So much so that some intersections even turned into gateways to hell in 2025, recording average congestion rates over 500%!

For those of you who grew up without smartphones equipped with cameras, calculators, compasses, raclette machines, and GPS, you surely remember TomTom, that navigation system we used to install in cars back in the day to find our way. Well, if you thought that the company had disappeared, think again! It is very much alive and thriving in the global traffic information market. After publishing a report earlier this year on the most congested cities in the world, it has now unveiled the areas most prone to honking concerts in the capital.


A travel time far from ideal

Back in January, we were a bit surprised to learn that Paris was “only” the 4th city in France for traffic jams. That surprise has only grown at the beginning of this April.>, when we see the congestion rates recorded in certain areas of Paris. To create its ranking, and thus define the worst places in the capital, TomTom relied on an index that measures in percentage the impact of traffic jams on average travel times, compared to an "ideal" travel time. So, if the congestion rate is 20%, it means you'll need an average of 20% more time to make a trip because of traffic jams compared to the ideal time in smooth traffic. And one thing is for sure, certain places and intersections in Paris have set all the records in 2025.


Areas to Avoid at All Costs

So, who takes home the title of the worst place in Paris? It’s Boulevard Ney, near the Porte de la Chapelle (18th district), which hit a congestion rate of 768.2% in 2025. It’s a constant traffic jam, thanks to the concentration of major routes in this area (north of Paris, suburbs, and the A1 motorway). Coming in closely behind is Place Denfert-Rochereau (608.8%), snagging the silver medal due tomassive construction that has made normal traffic impossible for months. Rounding out the top five are Avenue de La Motte-Picquet between Cambronne and La Motte-Picquet Grenelle (539%), Porte Brunet (526.6%), and Avenue Parmentier (502.9%). These congestion rates are truly something else!especially due to the anti-car policy implemented in recent years by Anne Hidalgo. There you go, now you know where not to go!