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Traffic heat map of Portsmouth City, Virginia: 153 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on Downtown Tunnel and I 264

Portsmouth City, Virginia Traffic Counts

TrafficZoom tracks traffic on 153 road miles in Portsmouth City, Virginia, divided into 4,618 segments averaging 174 ft. Its busiest road, Downtown Tunnel, carries 68,666 vehicles a day, 7.5 times the average road. Built from cross-verified mobile and road-sensor data, these counts help you size up a retail site, plan logistics routes or assess infrastructure needs.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Portsmouth City, Virginia

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day9,120
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

6.8%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

37.6 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

21.2%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

42.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$73,745

Our data shows 9,120 vehicles per day on the average road in Portsmouth City, Virginia, and 1,713,768 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈626 million per year) across its 153 miles of monitored roads. Trucks are a smaller part of the mix than across Virginia: 6.8% against 9.6%.

Longer trips than 92% of counties in Virginia

At 9,120 vehicles per day, the average monitored road in Portsmouth carries 70% more traffic than the state average of 5,349, suggesting more demand on each road - heavy exposure for roadside retail, and tight road space for deliveries. In total volume terms, its road network carries about 0.8% of Virginia's statewide total of vehicle-miles. 87% of counties in Virginia see less traffic than Portsmouth's 9,120 vehicles per day.

At 37.6 minutes, the average travel time is 19% higher than the state level. 92% of counties in Virginia have a shorter average travel time than Portsmouth's 37.6 minutes.

Congestion runs 26% higher than the state level, at a ratio of 21.2%, which means more pronounced congestion - expect slower peak-hour deliveries and less predictable arrival times.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Portsmouth City, Virginia

Trafficvehicles per day25,933
Trucks9.0%
Average travel time32.8 min
Congestion ratio49.5%
Drivers’ average age41.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income$87,265

Highways carry a significant share of travel in Portsmouth City, Virginia: 44% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 25,933 vehicles per day, 206% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 8,485 vehicles per day.

With 19% of the road miles (30 miles in 168 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 751,456 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈274 million per year).

That is more highway travel volume than 60% of counties in Virginia.

Lower highway truck share than 77% of counties in Virginia

Highway truck concentration here runs 31% lower than the state average, at 9.0%. Highways here mostly serve passenger trips, so local access matters more than long-haul routing for logistics operators.

Portsmouth's highway truck share (9.0%) is lower than 77% of counties in Virginia. 60% of counties in Virginia see fewer highway trucks per day than Portsmouth's roughly 2,344.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Portsmouth City, Virginia

Trafficvehicles per day8,485
Trucks5.0%
Average travel time37.8 min
Congestion ratio20.1%
Drivers’ average age42.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income$67,416

Local roads carry more than half of all travel in Portsmouth City, Virginia (56% of vehicle-miles). On the average non-highway road, that comes to 8,485 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 81% of the monitored road miles (123 miles in 4,450 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 962,311 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈351 million per year). About 1 in 20 vehicles on non-highway roads is a truck (5.0%).

Younger drivers than 96% of counties in Virginia

The concentration of trucks on non-highway roads is 45% lower than on highways.

The non-highway congestion ratio of 20.1% is 28% higher than the state level, suggesting slower local mobility than the state average.

Trip origins here have lower average income than 52% of counties in Virginia. 96% of counties in Virginia have an older driver population than Portsmouth.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 7:00 AM–9:00 AM and a long afternoon plateau from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 47% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are much quieter: volumes run about 29% below weekday levels, the signature of a commute-driven road network.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
Traffic is nearly flat through the year: even June–August, the busiest stretch, runs only +4% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -9% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Portsmouth City, Virginia, traffic is spread evenly through the day, with the busiest hour carrying only about 6%, and traffic stays steady through the year (+4% in high season).

Portsmouth City vs. Virginia Traffic Comparison

Of the four measures, average daily traffic per road differs most: Portsmouth City runs 70% above the Virginia average. Its highway truck share, by contrast, is 31% below.

MetricPortsmouth CityVirginia averageDifference
Traffic9,1205,349+70.5%
Truck % (Total Traffic)6.8%9.6%-29.3%
Truck % (Highway)9.0%13.1%-31.0%
Avg. Travel Time37.6 min31.7 min+18.7%

How Portsmouth City compares

Portsmouth City moves the least traffic of its nearby counties and cities

Against the 4 nearest areas, Portsmouth City moves 39.1% of the total daily travel and sees 20.0% longer typical trips; it has the third busiest roads of the five. Trips here run longer without running slower: distance, not congestion, is what drivers spend their time on.

Portsmouth City and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the Virginia average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Portsmouth City9,1206.8%1,713,76837.6 min21.2%
Norfolk City, Virginia10,1186.5%4,474,42331.4 min22.4%
Hampton City, Virginia8,6816.7%3,084,99331.0 min19.1%
Chesapeake City, Virginia8,9787.2%5,860,73430.7 min21.6%
Newport News City, Virginia10,9727.3%4,122,14232.3 min22.3%
Virginia average5,3499.6%N/A31.7 min16.8%

Portsmouth City ranked within Virginia

Average driver age places Portsmouth City #128 of 133 in Virginia - the bottom quarter of the state.

Portsmouth City ranked among 133 county-level areas in Virginia (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 118.
MeasurePortsmouth CityVirginia rank
Traffic volume (AADT)9,120#18 of 133
Highway vehicle-miles per day751,456#48 of 118
Truck share on highways9.0%#91 of 118
Highway trucks per day2,344#48 of 118
Average travel time37.6 min#11 of 133
Average driver income$73,745#69 of 133
Average driver age42.4 yrs#128 of 133

Portsmouth City ranks #11 of 133 on average travel time but #128 of 133 on average driver age - the two describe the same roads and are worth reading together rather than either on its own.

Busiest roads in Portsmouth City, Virginia

Traffic concentrates on a few corridors: the three busiest roads average 59,042 vehicles a day, against 9,120 on the average road in Portsmouth City.

Downtown Tunnel leads with 68,666 vehicles a day, 5,891 of them trucks (8.6%). It also carries the most trucks.

Freight stands out on Martin Luther King Jr Freeway: trucks are 12.5% of the traffic there, against 6.8% county-wide.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Downtown TunnelMotorway · 68,666vehicles5,891trucks · 8.6%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
107.4%
Median trip time
32.1 min
Drivers’ median age
42.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$84,600

Travel on Downtown Tunnel's busiest stretch runs 107% over free-flow time, against 21% across the county, so expect slower peak hours.

2I 264Motorway · 58,931vehicles4,992trucks · 8.5%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
54.8%
Median trip time
33.8 min
Drivers’ median age
42.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$84,382

I 264 is one of the more congested roads here: trips take 55% longer than at free-flow speed, against 21% county-wide.

3Western FreewayMotorway · 49,528vehicles3,990trucks · 8.1%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
52.3%
Median trip time
30.9 min
Drivers’ median age
41.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$89,165

Western Freeway carries 5.4 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 30.9 minutes.

4Martin Luther King FreewayMotorway · 44,450vehicles4,263trucks · 9.6%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
36.5%
Median trip time
31.1 min
Drivers’ median age
41.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$84,089

Martin Luther King Freeway carries 4.9 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 31.1 minutes.

5Martin Luther King Jr FreewayMotorway · 33,704vehicles4,225trucks · 12.5%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
41.8%
Median trip time
33.5 min
Drivers’ median age
41.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$85,362

At 3.7 times the county average, Martin Luther King Jr Freeway draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $85,362 in household income.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Downtown TunnelMotorway · #1 by traffic68,666vehicles5,891trucks · 8.6%
2I 264Motorway · #2 by traffic58,931vehicles4,992trucks · 8.5%
3Martin Luther King FreewayMotorway · #4 by traffic44,450vehicles4,263trucks · 9.6%
4Martin Luther King Jr FreewayMotorway · #5 by traffic33,704vehicles4,225trucks · 12.5%
5Western FreewayMotorway · #3 by traffic49,528vehicles3,990trucks · 8.1%
How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

PortsmouthDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Portsmouth City

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Portsmouth City, Virginia.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.