These Are The US Cities With The Longest Commutes

After a brief pause during the remote-first pandemic era, long commutes have once again become a significant part of workers’ daily routines, with many spending substantial time traveling to and from their workplaces.

In 2023, the average one-way commute time for U.S. workers was 26.8 minutes.

This visualization, via Visual Capitalist’s Kayla Zhu, shows the 10 U.S. cities with the longest average one-way commutes in 2022. Commute times are in minutes and includes workers aged 16 or older.

The data comes from a LLC analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from 2022. The analysis included 170 of the most populated cities in the U.S.

Which U.S. Cities Have The Longest Commutes?

Below, we show the top 10 cities with the longest average one-way commutes in minutes.

Based on the rankings, California commuters endure some of the longest commutes to work. Six of the top 10 cities with the longest commutes are located in Golden State, mainly suburbs in the Bay Area or near Los Angeles.

California’s sprawling suburban landscape often necessitates long commutes due to a combination of housing unaffordability pushing residents farther from job hubs and inadequate public transit options.

Cities like Palmdale and Moreno Valley are known to be commuter towns, where many residents travel to urban centers like Los Angeles for work.

As California continues to grapple with high housing costs and urban sprawl, experts say addressing transit infrastructure and local job creation could ease these burdens.

Studies have shown that long commute times can negatively impact workers’ mental health and wellbeing.

A South Korean study found a significant link between long commutes (60 minutes and over) and increased depressive symptoms, while a University of Waterloo study found that longer commutes are associated with lower life satisfaction and higher time pressure.

To learn more about work trends by U.S. cities, check out this graphic that shows the U.S. cities with the greatest share of remote workers.