Every year, the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University releases its list of the most congested roadways throughout the state of Texas using data generated from the previous year.

The report, released at the end of November, showed the continued lingering of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on traffic levels, with little change in rankings between 2020 and 2021. However, David Schrank, TTI’s lead researcher on the study, warned traffic levels will return to pre-pandemic levels as the state's population continues to boom.

“Traffic congestion isn’t just a big-city problem, and that problem is almost sure to get worse as our population surges by almost 20 million in the next 25 years,” Schrank said in a press release. “With that kind of growth, Texas needs to use every possible means to keep people and goods moving. We need to add capacity, operate the system efficiently, and give people options for how to travel.”

The rankings take several factors into account, including delay per mile of travel—or how much longer it takes to travel on a gridlocked road than to make the same trip in uncongested conditions—and the cost of congestion, including lost time and wasted fuel.

The stretch of Loop 610 between I-69 and the Katy Freeway maintained its spot at the top of the list after briefly being beaten by I-35 in Austin in the 2020 rankings. The Texas Department of Transportation has a project underway to add new, wider connector ramps at the intersection.




Here are the most congested roadways in the Bellaire, Meyerland and West University areas. Find the full list here.

1. Loop 610 from Katy Freeway to I-69

Overall rank: 1

Delay per mile: 1,119,318 hours




Annual cost of congestion: $97.8 million

2. I-69 from Loop 610 to Hwy. 288

Overall rank: 3

Delay per mile: 855,375 hours




Cost of congestion: $113.4 million

3. I-69 from Loop 610 to Beltway 8

Overall rank: 24

Delay per mile: 330,418 hours




Cost of congestion: $63.2 million

4. Loop 610 from I-69 to Hwy. 288

Overall rank: 34

Delay per mile: 236,271 hours




Cost of congestion: $45.8 million

5. Hwy. 90 from Hwy. 288 to Loop 610

Overall rank: 61

Delay per mile: 158,510 hours

Cost of congestion: $14.2 million

6. Bellaire Boulevard from Beltway 8 to Loop 610

Overall rank: 94

Delay per mile: 116,464 hours

Cost of congestion: $16.9 million

7. Holcombe Boulevard from Loop 610 to Hwy. 288

Overall rank: 179

Delay per mile: 76,845 hours

Cost of congestion: $10.1 million

8. Main Street from Blodgett Street to Hwy. 90

Overall rank: 193

Delay per mile: 73,991 hours

Cost of congestion: $6.4 million

9. South Post Oak Road from Loop 610 to FM 2234

Overall rank: 218

Delay per mile: 67,610 hours

Cost of congestion: $12 million

10. Fountain View Drive/Renwick Drive from San Felipe Street to Bissonnet Street

Overall rank: 220

Delay per mile: 67,382 hours

Cost of congestion: $5.6 million

11. Fondren Road from Pinefield Lane to the Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road

Overall rank: 320

Delay per mile: 53,741 hours

Cost of congestion: $14 million

12. Hillcroft Avenue from I-69 to Hwy. 90

Overall rank: 341

Delay per mile: 51,215 hours

Cost of congestion: $7.3 million

13. Weslayan Street/Stella Link Road from Inwood Drive to Hwy. 90

Overall rank: 377

Delay per mile: 47,286 hours

Cost of congestion: $7.2 million

14. Beechnut Boulevard from Beltway 8 to Loop 610

Overall rank: 382

Delay per mile: 47,043 hours

Cost of congestion: $7.2 million

15. Greenbriar Drive from Shepherd Drive to South Main Street

Overall rank: 514

Delay per mile: 38,471 hours

Cost of congestion: $2.3 million