The Hague has most jams, Amsterdam the slowest traffic

Motorists in The Hague faced the worst traffic jams in the country last year, due in part to the summer’s Nato summit, according to new research by satnav maker TomTom.

A 10-kilometre trip in the political capital took eight minutes longer than it would have done in a jam-free city, or the equivalent of a 51% delay, TomTom said. Roadworks also added to the problems, alongside summit-related diversions.

TomTom looked at the traffic situation in 17 Dutch towns and cities and found that delays increased most during the evening rush hour.

Amsterdam remains the slowest city to get around in, partly due to the maximum speed limit of 30 kph. However, most drivers fail to average more than 23 kph because of traffic pressure, and it takes an average of 32 minutes to travel 10 kilometres during rush hour.

The only good news for motorists in Amsterdam is that the situation did not worsen last year compared with 2024. Traffic in the capital is expected to deteriorate in 2027, when the IJ tunnel between north and south is closed for 16 months for repairs and renovation.

The biggest disruption last year was in Arnhem on October 23, when motorists took almost twice as long to reach their destination. The A12 was shut that day to repair a sinkhole.

Groningen was the only city where delays fell, due to the end of roadworks on the southern ring road and the completion of the Julianaplein traffic junction.

The Netherlands as a whole was the eighth most congested country in Europe, TomTom said. Malta was top of the list, followed by Greece.