What does this commute ranking show?

It orders states by Mean one-way commute time. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

U.S. Census Bureau ACS Tables B08013 and B08303 supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Transportation

The states with the shortest commutes

Mean one-way commute time.

Average one-way travel time to work, in minutes, calculated as ACS aggregate travel time (B08013) divided by workers who did not work from home (B08303). County estimates use the ACS 5-year release so every county is covered; state estimates use ACS 1-year. It describes usual commute patterns, not today’s traffic, a specific route, or a remote worker’s commute.

How to read this ranking

North Dakota has the lowest published commute in this comparison, at 17.5 min. The next states shown are South Dakota (18.5 min) and Montana (19.5 min).

The table orders 51 states by mean one-way commute time. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Average one-way travel time to work, in minutes, calculated as ACS aggregate travel time (B08013) divided by workers who did not work from home (B08303). County estimates use the ACS 5-year release so every county is covered; state estimates use ACS 1-year. It describes usual commute patterns, not today’s traffic, a specific route, or a remote worker’s commute.

1North Dakota17.5 min
2South Dakota18.5 min
3Montana19.5 min
4Wyoming19.7 min
5Alaska19.8 min
6Nebraska19.9 min
7Kansas20.0 min
8Iowa20.4 min
9Idaho22.2 min
10Arkansas22.7 min
11Minnesota22.7 min
12Oklahoma22.7 min
13Wisconsin22.7 min
14Oregon23.2 min
15Utah23.2 min
16Ohio23.8 min
17Vermont23.9 min
18Missouri24.0 min
19New Mexico24.0 min
20Michigan24.3 min
21Kentucky24.5 min
22Indiana24.6 min
23Maine25.6 min
24Colorado25.7 min
25North Carolina25.7 min
26Nevada25.7 min
27Alabama26.0 min
28Louisiana26.2 min
29Rhode Island26.3 min
30South Carolina26.3 min
31Arizona26.4 min
32Mississippi26.4 min
33Tennessee26.5 min
34West Virginia26.5 min
35Hawaii26.7 min
36Delaware26.8 min
37Connecticut27.0 min
38Pennsylvania27.1 min
39Washington27.2 min
40New Hampshire27.5 min
41Texas27.5 min
42Illinois28.3 min
43Virginia28.3 min
44Florida28.9 min
45Georgia29.4 min
46California29.7 min
47Massachusetts30.6 min
48District of Columbia31.0 min
49New Jersey31.9 min
50Maryland32.3 min
51New York33.2 min

Related transportation rankings

Use this in a move shortlist

These guides combine this measure with other clearly named inputs; they are not overall state verdicts.

States to consider for remote work →

Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Mean one-way commute time. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: U.S. Census Bureau ACS Tables B08013 and B08303. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS Tables B08013 and B08303. · How this is built

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