How Many Hours a Year Does Your City Steal?
At 250 working days/year, the difference between a 25-minute and 55-minute commute is 250 extra hours per year — more than 10 full 24-hour days. Over a 30-year career, that's 7,500 hours — over 312 days of your life spent in traffic.
*Based on Statistics Canada commute data and TomTom Traffic Index. Annual hours = one-way commute × 2 × 250 working days.
Canadian Cities — Traffic & Commute Score
| Rank | City | Traffic Score | Avg Commute | Congestion Level | Transit? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 🌊 Moncton, NB | 96/100 | ~18 min | Very Low | Limited |
| #2 | 🌆 Winnipeg, MB | 90/100 | ~22 min | Low | Bus network |
| #3 | ⚡ Edmonton, AB | 88/100 | ~24 min | Low-Mod | LRT |
| #4 | ⚡ Calgary, AB | 85/100 | ~27 min | Low-Mod | CTrain |
| #5 | 🍁 Ottawa, ON | 82/100 | ~28 min | Moderate | LRT + Bus |
| #6 | 🌺 Victoria, BC | 78/100 | ~22 min | Low-Mod | Bus |
| #7 | 🌱 Guelph, ON | 76/100 | ~28 min | Moderate | GO + Bus |
| #8 | ⚓ Halifax, NS | 72/100 | ~24 min | Moderate | Bus |
| #9 | ⚜️ Montréal, QC | 55/100 | ~38 min | High | Métro + STM |
| #10 | 🏔️ Vancouver, BC | 42/100 | ~45 min | Very High | SkyTrain |
| #11 | 🏙️ Toronto, ON | 30/100 | ~55 min | Worst in CA | TTC + GO |
Moncton's average commute of 18 minutes is among the shortest of any Canadian city — a direct result of its compact urban form and low population density. There are essentially no traffic jams in Moncton. The city's geography means most residents live within 15 minutes of the downtown, most employers, and most services. Combined with $340K average homes and Atlantic Canada's fastest-growing economy, Moncton delivers something genuinely rare: affordable housing, fast commutes, AND a growing job market. The daily time savings vs Toronto are extraordinary — 74 minutes/day, over 300 hours per year.
Calgary's average commute of 27 minutes is exceptional for a city of 1.3 million. Calgary's grid-based road network, wide arterial roads, and suburban design means traffic moves efficiently even at peak times. The CTrain LRT runs frequently and covers the main corridors. TomTom's congestion index ranks Calgary far better than Toronto, Vancouver, or Montréal for a comparable major city. Combined with 0% provincial tax, $580K average homes, and Banff 90 minutes away, Calgary's commute advantage is one of its most underappreciated quality-of-life differentials vs Toronto.
Ottawa at 28-minute average commute is the best major Ontario city for traffic — a full 27 minutes better than Toronto. The Confederation Line LRT has helped significantly since opening, and OC Transpo's bus network covers the city well. Ottawa's smaller footprint and compact federal government employment clusters (all within a few kilometres) mean most civil servants have short commutes. The Glebe, Centretown, and Westboro residents can cycle or walk to Parliament Hill. For federal government workers specifically, Ottawa's commutes are exceptional — many walk to work.
Toronto has Canada's worst traffic — consistently ranking in the top 10 most congested cities in North America. Here's what that costs the average Toronto commuter:
By moving to Calgary (27-min commute), a Toronto commuter reclaims 233 hours per year. At a conservative $25/hr value of time, that's $5,825/year — on top of $8,000–$12,000/year in provincial tax savings and $570K less on the average home purchase.