Here is Houston's worst traffic hotspot and it's not the Loop

Houston was ranked eighth for traffic hotspots.

I-45 S Exit 46A to Exit 63 was the most congested hotspot in the city.

Here are the Houston ZIP codes with the worst and best commutes to work... Houston was ranked eighth for traffic hotspots.

I-45 S Exit 46A to Exit 63 was the most congested hotspot in the city.

Here are the Houston ZIP codes with the worst and best commutes to work... Photo: Carlos Antonio Rios, Houston Chronicle Photo: Carlos Antonio Rios, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Here is Houston's worst traffic hotspot and it's not the Loop 1 / 35 Back to Gallery

Nearly 51 million Americans traveled over the Thanksgiving holidays according to AAA and if you took to the road in Houston, you probably dealt with travel times three times longer than usual. But did you drive on the worst hotspot?

According to INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, Houston has 4,417 hotspots, with the worst traffic hotspot being I-45 S. Exit 46A to Exit 63.

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INRIX Roadway Analytics identified and ranked 108,000 traffic hotspots in the 25 most congested cities. The ranking was determined by an "Impact Factor," which is based on the duration, length, and frequency of traffic jams. Houston, which was ranked eighth in the country, had an impact factor of 3,058,004. That number seems like a lot but when compared to the leader Los Angeles' impact factor of 11, 692, 591, it's not that bad.

When asked where is the worst hotspot, most Houstonians would have quickly answer 290 or even 610. Especially with last week's news that the bulk of the rebuilding of the Loop 610 interchange with Interstate 69 near Uptown will begin in early 2018.

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What does that mean for Houstonians? It means that Loop 610 will remain three lanes in each direction during construction which is expected to last until 2024.

So look out L.A., Houston is coming after you!

Julie Takahashi is a digital reporter at Chron.com. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on twitter at @Julie_Takahashi.