The share of Americans working from home skyrocketed during the pandemic. A recent Gallup study found that 45% of full-time workers in the United States - and two-thirds of white-collar workers - were doing their job remotely at least some of the time.
The shift is proving to be a positive development for millions of Americans. Gallup reports that over 90% of remote workers hope that the trend continues after the pandemic, citing the lack of commute time as the chief benefit.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average commute time in the United States is 26.9 minutes. For those who travel to and from work every Monday through Friday, this translates to about 4.5 hours per week, or nearly 10 days a year.
Of course, commute times vary from person to person, but in some parts of the country, workers are far more likely to have longer commutes than in others. Canyon Lake, Texas, for example, has one of the longest average commute times in the country. Workers in the area spend an average of 38.9 minutes getting to work each day, well above the national average. Of the 9,800 workers in the city who commute, 38.1% spend 45 minutes or more commuting one way compared to just 17.6% of commuters nationwide.
Long commute times add up in Canyon Lake. Based on average commute times, those working five days a week spend 6.5 hours a week and about 14 days a year commuting.
Average commute times are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 American Community Survey. We reviewed all census places with populations of at least 25,000 and 1,000 or more commuters ages 16 and up.
| Rank | City | Avg. commute time (minutes) | Commuters traveling 45+ min. (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temescal Valley, California | 47.7 | 55.2% |
| 2 | Antioch, California | 46.4 | 49.7% |
| 3 | Waldorf, Maryland | 46.1 | 52.2% |
| 4 | Poinciana, Florida | 45.7 | 51.2% |
| 5 | Brentwood, California | 45.1 | 47.5% |
| 6 | Tracy, California | 44.5 | 47.5% |
| 7 | Los Banos, California | 44.5 | 47.4% |
| 8 | Graham, Washington | 43.6 | 43.2% |
| 9 | Richmond West, Florida | 43.5 | 47.1% |
| 10 | Cutler Bay, Florida | 43.3 | 47.2% |
| 11 | Oakley, California | 43.2 | 46.7% |
| 12 | Princeton, Florida | 43.0 | 42.7% |
| 13 | Lake Elsinore, California | 42.9 | 41.6% |
| 14 | Menifee, California | 42.9 | 39.3% |
| 15 | Lake Ridge, Virginia | 42.5 | 49.5% |
| 16 | Long Beach, New York | 42.3 | 45.3% |
| 17 | Palmdale, California | 42.0 | 44.3% |
| 18 | Pittsburg, California | 42.0 | 39.7% |
| 19 | Valley Stream, New York | 41.9 | 41.4% |
| 20 | Linton Hall, Virginia | 41.8 | 46.8% |
| 21 | Hercules, California | 41.7 | 45.1% |
| 22 | Adelanto, California | 41.7 | 43.7% |
| 23 | Hesperia, California | 41.7 | 42.7% |
| 24 | New York, New York | 41.4 | 43.2% |
| 25 | Maple Valley, Washington | 41.1 | 41.8% |
| 26 | Dublin, California | 41.0 | 44.0% |
| 27 | French Valley, California | 40.9 | 38.8% |
| 28 | Elmont, New York | 40.5 | 37.6% |
| 29 | Clinton, Maryland | 40.3 | 43.3% |
| 30 | Dale City, Virginia | 40.2 | 45.0% |
| 31 | Homestead, Florida | 40.1 | 37.9% |
| 32 | Old Bridge, New Jersey | 40.1 | 35.9% |
| 33 | Kendall West, Florida | 40.0 | 35.8% |
| 34 | Manteca, California | 39.8 | 33.5% |
| 35 | South Miami Heights, Florida | 39.6 | 37.1% |
| 36 | San Jacinto, California | 39.6 | 36.8% |
| 37 | Eastvale, California | 39.5 | 38.8% |
| 38 | Victorville, California | 39.3 | 37.6% |
| 39 | Hoboken, New Jersey | 39.0 | 43.3% |
| 40 | Canyon Lake, Texas | 38.9 | 38.1% |
| 41 | Chino Hills, California | 38.8 | 38.1% |
| 42 | Clarksburg, Maryland | 38.8 | 35.3% |
| 43 | South Riding, Virginia | 38.7 | 37.3% |
| 44 | Ridgewood, New Jersey | 38.5 | 37.8% |
| 45 | Westfield, New Jersey | 38.5 | 37.6% |
| 46 | Woodbridge, Virginia | 38.4 | 44.5% |
| 47 | San Ramon, California | 38.4 | 39.3% |
| 48 | Wildomar, California | 38.4 | 32.2% |
| 49 | Bay Point, California | 38.3 | 33.7% |
| 50 | Kyle, Texas | 38.1 | 41.0% |
