Original vizualization by Mike Maciag | Visualization revised and data updated by Melanie Kiper, 12/22/2020
The mean travel time to work in the United States is 27.6 minutes. Almost 12% of of workers age 16 and older have a commute of less than 10 minutes However, almost 10% -- over 14.5 million -- have a commute of 60 minutes or more each way. For an average full-time worker, commuting twice a day, five times a week, 52 weeks a year adds up to almost 240 hours -- or 10 full days -- a year.
Commuting data helps policy makers and planners make decisions related to transportation infrastructure.
Modes of Transportation and Average Time Spent Commuting to Work for U.S. Metro Areas
Notes:
Data reflects all workers age 16 and up who do not work from home.
The Census Bureau asks respondents to record only one means of transportation accounting for the longest distance traveled for their commute. So, although many people walk, they’re usually not counted as such as they’ll drive/ride a train/bike longer distances.
Source: 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates