It's all relative, but I find Chicago vehicle traffic isn't that bad compared to other metro areas (and I moved here from a smaller city where you could traverse the entire city in 20 minutes). Before I moved to Chicago, I was told that traffic was a nightmare, and I should be prepared to spend at least an hour commuting 1-way by car. But I just haven't found that to be the case -- Chicagoans love exaggerating about two things: the traffic and the weather. Of course, traffic on the I-290 and I-90 at rush hour can be bad, but if you time your departure right, it's not too terrible.

Chicago's car infrastructure is more or less commensurate with its size. Seattle on the other hand was not designed for the population it currently has, and traffic there seems worse.