Today is the first day of school for the DeKalb and Fulton county systems. Gwinnett, Cobb and Atlanta went back last week.

And you know what that means: gridlock returns to the roads as the kids return to school.

“I have to leave home 10 to 15 minutes earlier, because it’s just a sea of cars coming down that street,” said Susan Robinson, a receptionist at a veterinary clinic on South Cobb Drive.

Does traffic really get worse when schools go back into session?

To find out, the AJC compared state traffic counts on selected interstates and surface streets. The results will surprise you.

Subscribers can read the full story on our premium website, MyAJC.com.

About the Author

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT