Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
That’s a lot of traffic, but it’s on a freeway in Beijing, not Houston
A photo of dozens of cars in dozens of lanes of traffic could cause Texas commuters nightmares. But fear not — the image doesn’t show a Houston freeway, as a recent Instagram post says.
"Houston, Texas holds the record for the world’s widest highway," text over the image says.
The July 18 post’s caption says: "The Katy Freeway in Houston, Texas holds the title for the world’s widest highway, boasting a remarkable 26 lanes!"
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Featured Fact-check
Count the lanes in the image and it becomes clear that there are more than 26 there. That’s because this photo was taken in China. It shows the G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway, which boasted 50 lanes when that picture was snapped — not 26.
The Katy Freeway in Houston is big, and in 2016 we fact-checked a claim that it was the widest freeway in the world. Our conclusion: Katy Freeway, a Houston portion of Interstate 10, has 13 lanes at its widest (not counting frontage roads). There’s a wider freeway in Canada, and, of course, the pictured behemoth Beijing.
We rate claims this photo shows a Houston freeway False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, July 18, 2023
Bloomberg, China's 50-Lane Traffic Jam Is Every Commuter's Worst Nightmare, Oct. 8, 2015
PolitiFact, World's widest highway not where Sylvester Turner thinks it is, April 13, 2016
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
That’s a lot of traffic, but it’s on a freeway in Beijing, not Houston
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.