The most pothole-ridden places in the UK
April 08, 2025 by Siobhan Doyle
Car changing is a big deal
The UK’s worst pothole areas have been revealed – is your hometown on the list?
Potholes are more than just an inconvenience; they can cause severe damage to vehicles which lead to costly tyre repairs. With the latest ALARM survey showing a £17bn backlog in road maintenance, it’s no surprise that drivers are worried about slow repairs and the costs of tyre damage from poor road conditions.
But which areas across the UK have the most potholes, and which local authorities are most proactive in repairs? These are the worst offenders, according to data from tyre retailer Blackcircles.
Congratulations to Newcastle – the UK’s pothole capital!
In 2024, 33,274 potholes were recorded in the northeast city across its 600 miles of roads. When comparing this figure to 2020, the number of potholes in Newcastle has increased by over 88%.
While the city came out on top for the number of reported postholes last year, it’s also the city that repaired the most potholes. Across the city, 3,001 potholes were repaired per 62 miles of road.
Aberdeen has been named the pothole capital of Scotland
Taking second place is the Scottish city of Aberdeen, which recorded 20,987 potholes in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024, the number of potholes in Aberdeen increased by over a third (35%).
When looking at the cities with the most potholes repaired, Aberdeen takes third place, with 2,130 potholes repaired per 62 miles of road in 2024.
Cardiff beats other Welsh locations
Although the number of potholes in Cardiff have been rising by less than a tenth (5%), the Welsh capital takes third place to round off the pothole-plagued podium.
Last year, 17,536 potholes overall were recorded across the city, while the capital had the second-highest number of potholes repaired at 1,588 per 62 miles.
| Rank | Local Authority | Number of Potholes in 2020 | Number of Potholes in 2021 | Number of Potholes in 2022 | Number of Potholes in 2023 | Number of Potholes in 2024 | Road Length (Kilometers) 2024 | Potholes Per 100 Kilometres of Road 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 17,693 | 25,051 | 19,817 | 31,515 | 33,274 | 1016 | 3,275 |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 15,523 | 13,448 | 15,589 | 18,149 | 20,987 | 1072 | 1,958 |
| 3 | Cardiff | 16,632 | 15,729 | 17,831 | 22,669 | 17,536 | 1114 | 1,574 |
| 4 | Croydon | 10,289 | 7,531 | 9,338 | 12,426 | 11,074 | 775 | 1,429 |
| 5 | Waltham Forest | 2,275 | 2,729 | 2,538 | 5,416 | 4,884 | 421 | 1,160 |
| 6 | Hackney | 2,219 | 2,276 | 1,482 | 1,908 | 2,357 | 270 | 873 |
| 7 | Southampton | 3,721 | 4,676 | 4,002 | 3,760 | 4,524 | 594 | 762 |
| 8 | Blackpool | 2,336 | 3,872 | 1,803 | 2,599 | 3,245 | 448 | 724 |
| 9 | Sheffield | 7,069 | 8,275 | 8,726 | 12,569 | 14,240 | 1972 | 722 |
| 10 | Lewisham | 2,593 | 2,732 | 1,741 | 3,005 | 2,947 | 433 | 681 |
The absolute state of UK potholes
The Blackcircles survey also revealed that nearly six in 10 Belfast residents (57%) have had their vehicles damaged by potholes. Meanwhile, Liverpool and Sheffield have the slowest road repair rates, with 17% of residents reporting it takes over six months to fix potholes in their cities.
A quarter of drivers (26%) have experienced vehicle damage due to potholes at least once, with 44% of 25-34-year-olds reporting multiple instances. Over a quarter (28%) of respondents believe potholes in their area are rarely or never fixed.
Looking at local trends, Bexley saw the biggest increase in potholes over the past five years, with numbers rising by 400%, from 442 to 2,184. Croydon spent the most on pothole repairs in 2024, investing £517,746 per 62 miles of road.
Finally, Hertfordshire had the highest average payout for pothole-related claims in 2023 at £367, while Ceredigion recorded the highest number of pothole-related accidents, with 8.2 collisions per 100,000 people.
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