5 of the Worst Roads in Texas

If you drive around Texas long enough, you'll eventually find yourself on a road that makes you wonder, “Who thought this was a good idea?”

Between brutal traffic, confusing interchanges, construction, high speeds and some seriously long commutes, certain Texas roads have earned a reputation for being a headache. TxDOT actually tracks the state's most congested road segments every year, using traffic volume and speed data to rank where drivers experience the most delay.

Here are five Texas roads and highway stretches that regularly give drivers plenty to complain about.

I-45 — Houston

Few Texas highways have a reputation quite like I-45 through Houston.

Heavy traffic, frequent construction and complicated interchanges can make this stretch stressful even when you're familiar with the area. Houston's I-45 corridor also appears repeatedly in studies examining the state's deadliest road stretches.

And then there's the construction.

Major improvements are changing sections of the highway, meaning drivers can encounter lane shifts, temporary closures and constantly changing traffic patterns.

If you're driving through Houston on I-45, keeping your eyes on the road and giving yourself extra time isn't a bad idea.

I-35 — Austin

I-35 through Austin is another Texas driving experience that can test your patience.

It's one of the state's major north-south corridors, carrying commuters, trucks and travelers through the heart of the city. TxDOT's 2025 congestion rankings put the Austin I-35 segment between US 290 and Ben White Boulevard/SH 71 among the 10 most congested road segments in Texas.

Add ongoing construction and a steady stream of merging traffic, and it's easy to understand why Austin drivers have a complicated relationship with this highway.

The frustrating part? Sometimes the trip isn't particularly long but it certainly feels like it.

I-635 — Dallas

If you've spent enough time driving around Dallas, you probably already know where this is going.

I-635, or LBJ Freeway, is one of the major arteries around the Metroplex and carries enormous amounts of traffic every day. Some sections have also appeared prominently in studies of deadly Texas road stretches. One analysis identified the I-635 stretch between Welch Road and North Town East Boulevard as having the highest number of fatal crashes among the stretches it examined.

It's also surrounded by some of the busiest parts of the Dallas area, so congestion can quickly build when there's a crash, construction or even a minor traffic disruption.

For DFW drivers, I-635 isn't necessarily somewhere you avoid altogether.

I-10 — Houston

Everything is bigger in Texas—including the traffic problems on I-10.

The Katy Freeway is one of the best-known examples. It's a major route into Houston and carries huge volumes of commuters and commercial traffic.

TxDOT's 2025 congestion report includes multiple Houston segments of I-10 among the state's most congested roads, including the Katy Freeway and the I-10 stretch between I-45 and US 59.

The combination of high traffic volumes, multiple lanes and frequent merging can make this road particularly exhausting during peak hours.

And if there's an accident? That commute can go from annoying to completely miserable very quickly.

I-35E — Dallas

Another one for the DFW drivers. I-35E through Dallas is a major commuter route, and some stretches have a particularly rough reputation. A recent analysis of deadly Texas road stretches identified a section of I-35E in Dallas among the state's most dangerous, while TxDOT's congestion rankings also place Dallas-area I-35E segments among the state's heavily congested corridors.

Between high traffic volumes, fast-moving lanes, exits appearing quickly and drivers trying to change lanes at the last possible second, it can be a stressful drive.

And yes, we've all seen that person trying to cross three lanes of traffic because they suddenly realized their exit is coming up.