Top 10 US Cities Where Workers Have The Longest Commutes

The average car commute time in the U.S. is 25.4 minutes for a one-way trip and 51 minutes for a round-trip. The longest work commute time in the United States is 33.4 minutes, and the shortest commute is only 16.4 minutes.

Here is a list of the time taken to go to work in ten different cities.

RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA

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Riverside is a city in the Inland Empire region of Southern California and is 55 miles east of Los Angeles. It is the 12th largest city in California and the largest city in Riverside County. The city is known for the California citrus industry.

Residents of Riverside have to spend 32.6 minutes for a one-way trip to work, making it the longest car commute to work in the U.S.

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA

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Stockton, known for being one of the richest agricultural and dairy regions in California, is a city in San Joaquin County, about 80 miles east of San Francisco. With over 320,000 residents, it is the 13th largest city in the state.

Residents of Stockton spend nearly 32.5 minutes to go to work, making it one of the longest car commutes to work.

WASHINGTON D.C.

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Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, is one of the most populous cities in the country. Apart from being the headquarters of several federal department offices and international organizations, Washington is also known for having the oldest national park and the largest library in the world.

With numerous offices and people, D.C. has one of the longest car commutes to work, 31.7 minutes. It should also be noted that the commute time in D.C. increased by 3.26%.

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

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New York City, also known as NYC or the “Big Apple,” is one of the most populated cities in the United States. It is known for its iconic Times Square, Empire State Building, and Central Park.

New York is also an extremely busy city, both in terms of resident population and tourists. This is one of the major reasons for the long commute time. The average car commute time to work in NYC is 30.7 minutes.

New York also recorded the highest increase in commute time year on year, 4.07%.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

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Atlanta, also known as the “Big Peach,” is the most populated city in Georgia. It is home to sixteen Fortune 500 companies, including Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, and United Parcel Services (UPS), among others.

Housing the headquarters of numerous big companies with a massive workforce paired with the city’s huge population causes longer commute times. Atlanta has one of the longest car commute times to work, 30.7 minutes.

POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK

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Poughkeepsie, located in the Hudson Valley region of New York, is home to several major corporations, like IBM, and educational institutions like the Vassar College, Marist College, and The Culinary Institute of America.

The average car commute time to work in Poughkeepsie is 30.6 minutes.

WICHITA, KANSAS

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Wichita, nicknamed the “Air Capital of the World,” is the most populous city in Kansas and the birthplace of the famous pizza joint Pizza House.

Wichita has the shortest car commute time to work in the United States, 20 minutes.

OMAHA, NEBRASKA

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Omaha is the most populous city in Nebraska. Famous Fortune 500 companies, such as Berkshire Hathaway, Kiewit Corporation, and Union Pacific Corporation, have their headquarters in Omaha.

Despite its huge population and numerous company headquarters, the city has some of the shortest car commute times to work: 20.4 minutes.

PROVO, UTAH

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Provo is a city located between Utah Lake and the Wasatch Range. The city is known as the “Garden City” due to its greenery, such as orchards and gardens. With a population of over 115,000, it is the fourth-largest city in Utah.

The time taken to commute to work by car in Provo is 20.8 minutes. It should be noted that the commute times in Provo decreased by 1.89% year or year.

TOLEDO, OHIO

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Toledo, a city in northwestern Ohio, is located along the shores of Lake Erie at the mouth of the Maumee River. The city is ranked the 23rd best city to retire in the United States. Toledo is also home to the famous Mud Hens baseball team, Jeep headquarters, and the world-renowned Toledo Museum of Art.

Residents in Toledo spend 20.9 minutes on a one-way trip to go to work by car.

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

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Rochester, also known as the “Young Lion of the West” and the “Flower City,” is the third largest metropolitan in New York state. It is also known as the “Festival City” because of the 140 festivals that happen every year in the city.

Residents in Rochester spend 21.1 minutes on a one-way trip to go to work by car.

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