The invention discloses an urban traffic frequent congestion characteristic determination method and device. The method comprises the steps that the urban traffic historical road condition data withinthe preset period are acquired; statistics of the congestion duration of each road segment within the first time period of each day is performed and the road segment of which the congestion durationis greater than the first congestion threshold is determined as the daily congestion road segment; statistics of the congestion days of the daily congestion road segment within the first period is performed and the frequent congestion road segment within the first period is determined; and the frequent congestion area within the first period is determined according to the frequent congestion roadsegment within the first period. The external equipment detection data are used, the frequent congestion intersections and areas are identified through mining and analysis of the historical road condition data, the problem that the degree of the congestion point cannot be quantified can be solved and comprehensive and accurate congestion point locating can be realized.