According to the Statista Consumer Insights, for the period between October 2023 and September 2024, around of U.S. American workers spent an average of half an hour or less commuting to work. In the period between 2019 and 2024, the share of workers commuting less than 15 minutes dropped by seven percentage points to 23 percent, while the share of workers commuting over half an hour decreased from 29 to 25 percent. Rise of hybrid work models The transformation in commute times coincides with a surge in hybrid work arrangements. By the second quarter of 2024, 53 percent of U.S. workers reported adopting a hybrid work model, blending remote and on-site work. This shift, initially sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, has reshaped how Americans balance their professional and personal lives, offering increased flexibility and potentially reducing overall commute times for many. Driving remains most common form of commuting Among those workers who continue to travel to their place of work, driving remained the most popular mode. Over two-thirds of U.S. Americans drove to work by car, truck or van in 2022 and an additional nearly nine percent used a carpool to get to their job. Public transportation, meanwhile, was only used by 3.1 percent of workers.

When asked about "Duration of daily commute", 29 percent of U.S. respondents answer "15 to 29 minutes". This online survey was conducted in 2024, among 10,138 consumers.

Average commute time in each U.S. county in minutes.

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Graph and download economic data for Mean Commuting Time for Workers (5-year estimate) in New York County, NY (B080ACS036061) from 2009 to 2023 about New York County, NY; commuting time; New York; workers; average; NY; 5-year; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Mean Commuting Time for Workers (5-year estimate) in San Diego County, CA (B080ACS006073) from 2009 to 2023 about San Diego County, CA; commuting time; San Diego; workers; average; CA; 5-year; and USA.

This layer shows workers' place of residence by commute length. This is shown by tract, county, and state boundaries. This service is updated annually to contain the most currently released American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data, and contains estimates and margins of error. There are also additional calculated attributes related to this topic, which can be mapped or used within analysis. This layer is symbolized to show the percentage of commuters whose commute is 90 minutes or more. To see the full list of attributes available in this service, go to the "Data" tab, and choose "Fields" at the top right. Current Vintage: 2015-2019ACS Table(s): B08303Data downloaded from: Census Bureau's API for American Community Survey Date of API call: December 10, 2020National Figures: data.census.govThe United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS):About the SurveyGeography & ACSTechnical DocumentationNews & UpdatesThis ready-to-use layer can be used within ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, its configurable apps, dashboards, Story Maps, custom apps, and mobile apps. Data can also be exported for offline workflows. For more information about ACS layers, visit the FAQ. Please cite the Census and ACS when using this data.Data Note from the Census:Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see Accuracy of the Data). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables.Data Processing Notes:This layer is updated automatically when the most current vintage of ACS data is released each year, usually in December. The layer always contains the latest available ACS 5-year estimates. It is updated annually within days of the Census Bureau's release schedule. Click here to learn more about ACS data releases.Boundaries come from the US Census TIGER geodatabases. Boundaries are updated at the same time as the data updates (annually), and the boundary vintage appropriately matches the data vintage as specified by the Census. These are Census boundaries with water and/or coastlines clipped for cartographic purposes. For census tracts, the water cutouts are derived from a subset of the 2010 AWATER (Area Water) boundaries offered by TIGER. For state and county boundaries, the water and coastlines are derived from the coastlines of the 500k TIGER Cartographic Boundary Shapefiles. The original AWATER and ALAND fields are still available as attributes within the data table (units are square meters). The States layer contains 52 records - all US states, Washington D.C., and Puerto RicoCensus tracts with no population that occur in areas of water, such as oceans, are removed from this data service (Census Tracts beginning with 99).Percentages and derived counts, and associated margins of error, are calculated values (that can be identified by the "_calc_" stub in the field name), and abide by the specifications defined by the American Community Survey.Field alias names were created based on the Table Shells file available from the American Community Survey Summary File Documentation page.Negative values (e.g., -4444...) have been set to null, with the exception of -5555... which has been set to zero. These negative values exist in the raw API data to indicate the following situations:The margin of error column indicates that either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute a standard error and thus the margin of error. A statistical test is not appropriate.Either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute an estimate, or a ratio of medians cannot be calculated because one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution.The median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution, or in the upper interval of an open-ended distribution. A statistical test is not appropriate.The estimate is controlled. A statistical test for sampling variability is not appropriate.The data for this geographic area cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small.

This statistic depicts the average time spent by U.S. workers to commute to work in 2019, by region. In that year, U.S. workers from the Northeast region spent on average 31 minutes to travel to work.

Graph and download economic data for Mean Commuting Time for Workers (5-year estimate) in Honolulu County, HI (B080ACS015003) from 2009 to 2023 about Honolulu County/City, HI; Honolulu; commuting time; HI; workers; average; 5-year; and USA.

The Travel Time to Work indicator compares the mean, or average, commute time for Champaign County residents to the mean commute time for residents of Illinois and the United States as a whole. On its own, mean travel time of all commuters on all mode types could be reflective of a number of different conditions. Congestion, mode choice, changes in residential patterns, changes in the location of major employment centers, and changes in the transit network can all impact travel time in different and often conflicting ways. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the workplace location (office vs. home) is another factor that can impact the mean travel time of an area. We don’t recommend trying to draw any conclusions about conditions in Champaign County, or anywhere else, based on mean travel time alone.

However, when combined with other indicators in the Mobility category (and other categories), mean travel time to work is a valuable measure of transportation behaviors in Champaign County.

Champaign County’s mean travel time to work is lower than the mean travel time to work in Illinois and the United States. Based on this figure, the state of Illinois has the longest commutes of the three analyzed areas.

The year-to-year fluctuations in mean travel time have been statistically significant in the United States since 2014, and in Illinois in 2021 and 2022. Champaign County’s year-to-year fluctuations in mean travel time were statistically significant from 2021 to 2022, the first time since this data first started being tracked in 2005.

Mean travel time data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates, which are released annually.

As with any datasets that are estimates rather than exact counts, it is important to take into account the margins of error (listed in the column beside each figure) when drawing conclusions from the data.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of providing the standard 1-year data products, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates from the 1-year data in 2020. This includes a limited number of data tables for the nation, states, and the District of Columbia. The Census Bureau states that the 2020 ACS 1-year experimental tables use an experimental estimation methodology and should not be compared with other ACS data. For these reasons, and because data is not available for Champaign County, no data for 2020 is included in this Indicator.

For interested data users, the 2020 ACS 1-Year Experimental data release includes a dataset on Travel Time to Work.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (16 October 2024).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (10 October 2023).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (17 October 2022).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (29 March 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2018 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (29 March 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (14 September 2017).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (19 September 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2006 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).

This statistic depicts the average time people spend on their way to work with public transport in Latin America as of May 2018. In that period, Colombia's capital Bogota was at the top of the list, with an average commute time of 97 minutes.

Graph and download economic data for Mean Commuting Time for Workers (5-year estimate) in Middlesex County, MA (B080ACS025017) from 2009 to 2023 about Middlesex County, MA; commuting time; Boston; MA; workers; average; 5-year; and USA.

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR
Commute Time (T3)

FULL MEASURE NAME
Commute time by residential location

LAST UPDATED
January 2023

DESCRIPTION
Commute time refers to the average number of minutes a commuter spends traveling to work on a typical day. The dataset includes metropolitan area, county, city, and census tract tables by place of residence.

DATA SOURCE
U.S. Census Bureau: Decennial Census (1980-2000) - via MTC/ABAG Bay Area Census - http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/transportation.htm

U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey - https://data.census.gov/
2006-2021
Form C08136
Form C08536
Form B08301
Form B08301
Form B08301

CONTACT INFORMATION
vitalsigns.info@bayareametro.gov

METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator)
For the decennial Census datasets, breakdown of commute times was unavailable by mode; only overall data could be provided on a historical basis.

For the American Community Survey (ACS) datasets, 1-year rolling average data was used for all metros, region and county geographic levels, while 5-year rolling average data was used for cities and tracts. This is due to the fact that more localized data is not included in the 1-year dataset across all Bay Area cities. Similarly, modal data is not available for every Bay Area city or census tract, even when the 5-year data is used for those localized geographies.

Regional commute times were calculated by summing aggregate county travel times and dividing by the relevant population; similarly, modal commute times were calculated using aggregate times and dividing by the number of communities choosing that mode for the given geography.

Census tract data is not available for tracts with insufficient numbers of residents. The metropolitan area comparison was performed for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area in addition to the primary metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for the nine other major metropolitan areas.

Graph and download economic data for Mean Commuting Time for Workers (5-year estimate) in Cook County, IL (B080ACS017031) from 2009 to 2023 about Cook County, IL; commuting time; Chicago; IL; workers; average; 5-year; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Mean Commuting Time for Workers (5-year estimate) in St. Louis County, MO (B080ACS029189) from 2009 to 2023 about St. Louis County, MO; commuting time; St. Louis; MO; workers; average; 5-year; and USA.

This statistic depicts the average distance people ride on their way to work with public transport in Latin America as of May 2018. In that period, in Mexico's capital Mexico City people had to commute a distance of 9.9 kilometers on average.

This statistic provides a comparison of the average amount of time spent travelling to and from paid work or study by both men and women in OECD member countries as well as China, India and South Africa. As of 2016, the average man in China spent 56 minutes per day travelling for work and study while for women the average was 38 minutes.

The average time spent traveling in Italy peaked at 67 minutes per capita in 2008. The lowest time was found in 2020 when Italians, on average, spent about 48 minutes per capita commuting, in part caused by the travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Graph and download economic data for Mean Commuting Time for Workers (5-year estimate) in Mecklenburg County, NC (B080ACS037119) from 2009 to 2023 about Mecklenburg County, NC; commuting time; Charlotte; workers; average; NC; 5-year; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Mean Commuting Time for Workers (5-year estimate) in District of Columbia (B080ACS011001) from 2009 to 2023 about commuting time, DC, Washington, workers, average, 5-year, and USA.

This table contains information regarding the mobility of the residents of the Netherlands aged 6 or older in private households, so excluding residents of institutions and homes. The table contains per person per day /year an overview of the average number of trips, the average distance travelled and the average time travelled. These are regular trips on Dutch territory, including domestic holiday mobility. The distance travelled is based on stage information. Excluded in this table is mobility based on series of calls trips. The mobility behaviour is broken down by trip characteristics, purposes of travel, population and regions. The data used are retrieved from The Dutch National travel survey named Onderweg in Nederland (ODiN).

Data available from: 2018

Status of the figures: The figures in this table are final.

Changes as of 4 July 2024: The figures for year 2023 are added.

When will new figures be published? Figures for the 2024 research year will be published in mid-2025