The ADAC recorded a total of 866,000 kilometers of traffic jams on German highways in 2025, an increase of 7,000 kilometers from the previous year. The jams lasted 478,000 hours and cleared more slowly. North Rhine-Westphalia was the most affected region.
The ADAC in Munich has noted an increase in traffic jams on German highways for 2025. A total of 866,000 kilometers of jams were recorded, equivalent to the distance from Earth to the Moon and back plus two and a half laps around Earth. This marks 7,000 kilometers more than in 2024. The jams accounted for 478,000 jam hours, up 30,000 hours, even though the number of jams of at least one kilometer fell to 496,000 – down 20,000 from before. Construction sites and traffic volume remained at previous-year levels.
North Rhine-Westphalia accounted for 35 percent of all jam hours, followed by Bavaria with 13 percent, Baden-Württemberg with 10 percent, and Hesse with 7 percent. Brandenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hamburg, Berlin, and Saxony followed with 3 to 5 percent. The most affected highways were the A1, A3, A5, and A8.
July was the worst month for jams with 50,000 hours and 87,000 kilometers, closely followed by October with 49,000 hours and 85,000 kilometers. A peak period ran from April to October, while January, February, and December had the fewest jams. January 9 brought 6,300 kilometers of jams due to winter weather, the day before Ascension Day on May 28 had 5,700 kilometers, and October 2 had 4,900 kilometers. On weekdays, Thursdays averaged 1,669 jam hours, followed by Wednesdays and Tuesdays.
The longest single jams occurred on December 27: up to 55 kilometers on the A7 between Wörnitz and Kreuz Memmingen, and 44 kilometers on the A9 between Hilpoltstein and Kreuz Neufahrn. Overall, there were 610 jams over 20 kilometers, fewer than in 2024.
For 2026, the ADAC anticipates a worsening due to rising traffic volume and necessary bridge modernizations. Measurements are based on data from truck fleets and smartphone apps, capturing jams below 20 km/h and slow traffic up to 40 km/h.
In Hesse, jams totaled 33,592 hours and 78,186 kilometers; in Bavaria, 63,545 hours and 145,622 kilometers.
