Hardest cities to navigate: The complete list

Posted by Joseph Rose, The Oregonian

January 19, 2009 14:27PM

As hard as it is for some Portland drivers to believe, we probably don't live in one of America's hardest cities to navigate.

As I mentioned in today's Oregonian column, MapQuest actually conducts an annual poll to try to determine that. Portland has never appeared on the 10-worst list. Nor has it shown up as one of the 10 "easiest cities to escape for holiday weekends." The top spot on that list goes to Cleveland. (Cleveland?)

Even stranger, our neighbor to the north, Seattle, appears on both the bad list and the good list.

Anyway, since my column picked on Houston, supposedly the hardest city to navigate, I figured it would be only fair to post MapQuest's complete 2008 best and worst navigation lists.

The poll done by ICR of Media, Pa., for MapQuest, questioned people online last May. The rankings are based on a national sampling of 1,023 adults with online access. ICR also conducted 3,000 phone interviews in the top 20 cities.

Toughest Cities to Navigate

1. Houston
2. D.C.
3. Los Angeles
4. Atlanta
5. Boston
6. Dallas
7. Phoenix
8. Orlando
9. Seattle
10. Miami

Toughest Cities to Escape for Holiday Weekends

1. Los Angeles
2. Philadelphia
3. New York
4. D.C.
5. Atlanta
6. Houston
7. Detroit
8. San Francisco/Oakland
9. Dallas
10. Phoenix

Easiest Cities to Escape for Holiday Weekends

1. Cleveland
2. Orlando
3. Minneaplis/St. Paul
4. Denver
5. Boston
6. Tampa
7. Miami
8. Seattle
9. Chicago
10. Sacramento

-- Joseph Rose; josephrose@news.oregonian.com