- The national average one-way commute time is 26.8 minutes, corresponding to roughly 14.4 miles each way for car commuters.
- Commute times range from 18.4 minutes in South Dakota to 32.8 minutes in New York—about 78% longer.
- The average car commuter drives approximately 7,200 commute miles per year (250 workdays × 28.8 miles round trip).
- Annual commute fuel costs range from $876 to $1,584 depending on state, vehicle type, and local gas prices.
These are state averages—your actual commute cost depends on your specific vehicle and route.
Calculate Your Exact Cost01 National Commute Overview
The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) provides the most comprehensive data on American commuting patterns. According to the most recent (2023) ACS data, the average one-way commute time for U.S. workers is 26.8 minutes. For those who drive alone (69% of all commuters, down from 76% before the pandemic), the average commute distance is approximately 14.4 miles each way.
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801, 2023, United States total (data.census.gov bulk download)The Federal Highway Administration’s National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) provides additional detail on commute distances. Computed directly from the 2022 NHTS trip-level microdata (home-based-work trips by personal vehicle, survey-weighted), the median one-way commute distance for automobile commuters is 8.9 miles, while the mean is 14.4 miles—the higher mean reflecting a distribution skewed by long-distance commuters.
FHWA/DOT, 2022 NHTS public-use trip data (tripv2pub.csv). Home-based-work trips by personal vehicle (car, van, SUV, pickup), weighted by WTTRDFIN, n=4,592.02 States with the Longest Commutes
States with the longest average commute times tend to be those with major metropolitan areas that draw workers from distant suburbs and exurbs. The table below shows the 10 states with the longest mean commute times.
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801, 2023| Rank | State | Avg Commute (min) | Est. Distance (mi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 32.8 | ~18 |
| 2 | Maryland | 31.4 | ~17 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 31.4 | ~17 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 29.9 | ~16 |
| 5 | California | 29.2 | ~16 |
| 6 | Georgia | 28.7 | ~15 |
| 7 | Florida | 28.5 | ~15 |
| 8 | Illinois | 28.1 | ~15 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 27.7 | ~15 |
| 10 | Virginia | 27.5 | ~15 |
New York’s unusually high commute time relative to distance reflects its heavy reliance on public transit, which moves at lower average speeds than automobile commuting. States like Maryland and Georgia have longer distances because their commuters are predominantly car-based with extensive suburban sprawl.
Census ACS, mode of transportation to work data; FHWA, NHTS trip distance by mode03 States with the Shortest Commutes
States with shorter commutes tend to be those with smaller, less congested metropolitan areas or significant rural populations where workplaces are closer to residences.
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801, 2023| Rank | State | Avg Commute (min) | Est. Distance (mi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | South Dakota | 18.4 | ~10 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 18.5 | ~10 |
| 48 | Nebraska | 19.1 | ~10 |
| 47 | Wyoming | 19.5 | ~10 |
| 46 | Alaska | 19.8 | ~11 |
| 45 | Kansas | 20.0 | ~11 |
| 44 | Iowa | 20.0 | ~11 |
| 43 | Montana | 20.2 | ~11 |
| 42 | Idaho | 21.9 | ~12 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | 22.5 | ~12 |
04 Commute Fuel Cost by State
Commute fuel cost depends on three things: how far people drive, how much they pay per gallon, and how efficient their vehicle is. The table below ranks the same 20 states from the tables above by estimated annual commute fuel cost—combining each state’s commute distance (above) with its motor fuel tax rate as a proxy for relative pump price, at the actual on-road fleet fuel economy of 23.7 MPG (DOE/ORNL Transportation Energy Data Book, Table 4.3, 2020).
Calculated: annual commute miles = one-way distance × 2 × 250 workdays; estimated state price = $4.211 national average (EIA, week of Aug 3, 2026) + (state gasoline tax − 29.1¢ national average state tax) ÷ 100; cost = annual miles ÷ 23.7 MPG × estimated priceWant your exact number instead of a state average? Enter your own vehicle and commute.
Use the Calculator| Rank | State | Annual Miles | Est. Price ($/gal) | Annual Fuel Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 9,000 | $4.17 | $1,584 |
| 2 | Maryland | 8,500 | $4.35 | $1,560 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 8,500 | $4.29 | $1,539 |
| 4 | California | 8,000 | $4.46 | $1,506 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 8,000 | $4.16 | $1,404 |
| 6 | Illinois | 7,500 | $4.32 | $1,367 |
| 7 | Florida | 7,500 | $4.30 | $1,362 |
| 8 | West Virginia | 7,500 | $4.28 | $1,355 |
| 9 | Georgia | 7,500 | $4.21 | $1,333 |
| 10 | Virginia | 7,500 | $4.20 | $1,330 |
| 11 | Idaho | 6,000 | $4.25 | $1,077 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 6,000 | $4.23 | $1,071 |
| 13 | Montana | 5,500 | $4.25 | $987 |
| 14 | Iowa | 5,500 | $4.23 | $982 |
| 15 | Kansas | 5,500 | $4.16 | $966 |
| 16 | Alaska | 5,500 | $4.00 | $929 |
| 17 | South Dakota | 5,000 | $4.22 | $890 |
| 18 | Nebraska | 5,000 | $4.17 | $881 |
| 19 | Wyoming | 5,000 | $4.16 | $878 |
| 20 | North Dakota | 5,000 | $4.15 | $876 |
05 All 50 States Ranked
The full ranking below covers all 50 states by mean one-way commute time, with estimated distance and annual commute fuel cost for each—the same methodology used throughout this article.
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801, 2023. See methodology notes above for distance and cost calculations.| Rank | State | Avg Commute (min) | Est. Distance (mi) | Annual Fuel Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 32.8 | ~18 | $1,584 |
| 2 | Maryland | 31.4 | ~17 | $1,560 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 31.4 | ~17 | $1,539 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 29.9 | ~16 | $1,404 |
| 5 | California | 29.2 | ~16 | $1,506 |
| 6 | Georgia | 28.7 | ~15 | $1,333 |
| 7 | Florida | 28.5 | ~15 | $1,362 |
| 8 | Illinois | 28.1 | ~15 | $1,367 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 27.7 | ~15 | $1,355 |
| 10 | Virginia | 27.5 | ~15 | $1,330 |
| 11 | Texas | 27.2 | ~15 | $1,303 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 27.1 | ~15 | $1,315 |
| 13 | Hawaii | 27.0 | ~15 | $1,291 |
| 14 | Connecticut | 26.9 | ~14 | $1,231 |
| 15 | Delaware | 26.8 | ~14 | $1,226 |
| 16 | Washington | 26.7 | ~14 | $1,303 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 26.5 | ~14 | $1,328 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 26.3 | ~14 | $1,234 |
| 19 | Arizona | 25.7 | ~14 | $1,211 |
| 20 | Louisiana | 25.7 | ~14 | $1,217 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | 25.6 | ~14 | $1,261 |
| 22 | Alabama | 25.5 | ~14 | $1,241 |
| 23 | Colorado | 25.5 | ~14 | $1,228 |
| 24 | Nevada | 25.5 | ~14 | $1,228 |
| 25 | South Carolina | 25.5 | ~14 | $1,241 |
| 26 | North Carolina | 25.3 | ~14 | $1,272 |
| 27 | Mississippi | 25.2 | ~14 | $1,212 |
| 28 | Michigan | 24.5 | ~13 | $1,150 |
| 29 | Indiana | 24.3 | ~13 | $1,165 |
| 30 | Maine | 24.3 | ~13 | $1,158 |
| 31 | Kentucky | 24.2 | ~13 | $1,142 |
| 32 | Vermont | 24.2 | ~13 | $1,159 |
| 33 | Missouri | 23.5 | ~13 | $1,136 |
| 34 | Ohio | 23.5 | ~13 | $1,181 |
| 35 | New Mexico | 23.2 | ~12 | $1,036 |
| 36 | Oregon | 23.2 | ~12 | $1,089 |
| 37 | Arkansas | 22.7 | ~12 | $1,055 |
| 38 | Minnesota | 22.7 | ~12 | $1,065 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | 22.6 | ~12 | $1,043 |
| 40 | Utah | 22.6 | ~12 | $1,071 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | 22.5 | ~12 | $1,071 |
| 42 | Idaho | 21.9 | ~12 | $1,077 |
| 43 | Montana | 20.2 | ~11 | $987 |
| 44 | Iowa | 20.0 | ~11 | $982 |
| 45 | Kansas | 20.0 | ~11 | $966 |
| 46 | Alaska | 19.8 | ~11 | $929 |
| 47 | Wyoming | 19.5 | ~10 | $878 |
| 48 | Nebraska | 19.1 | ~10 | $881 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 18.5 | ~10 | $876 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 18.4 | ~10 | $890 |
Because our distance and cost estimates are both derived from commute time, the two move together closely (OLS fit, R²=0.965 across all 50 states)—so the more interesting number is which states sit off that line. A large share of that scatter is just our distance figure being rounded to the nearest mile (accounts for roughly 40% of it, since the estimate now works out to about a mile per 2 minutes of commute time); the rest tracks each state's fuel tax relative to the national average. States well above the line are generally paying more because of a higher state gas tax, and states well below are generally paying less because of a lower one—though for any single state, a substantial part of its distance from the line is simply rounding, not tax. Hover any point below for the exact gap.
06 Commute Trends Over Time
American commute times have been gradually increasing over the past decade and a half. Census ACS data shows the national average commute time has risen from 25.3 minutes in 2010 to 26.8 minutes in 2023 (27.2 minutes by 2024)—an increase of about 1.5 minutes, or 6%.
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801, 2010–2024 annual estimates (data.census.gov bulk download)| Year | Avg Commute (min) | Drive-Alone Share | Work from Home Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 25.3 | 77% | 4.3% |
| 2015 | 26.4 | 77% | 4.6% |
| 2019 | 27.6 | 76% | 5.7% |
| 2021 | 25.6 | 68% | 17.9% |
| 2023 | 26.8 | 69% | 13.8% |
| 2024 | 27.2 | 69% | 13.3% |
The 2021 data shows the sharp impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commuting patterns—average commute time dropped and work-from-home surged to nearly 18%. The recovery since then has been partial, not complete: by 2023, average commute time was back in the same range as 2015–2019, but the share of workers driving alone was still 69%, about 7 points below the pre-pandemic 76%—and work-from-home remained at 13.8%, more than double the 2019 rate. The workers who once drove alone haven't all gone back to driving; a meaningful share simply stayed remote.
Census ACS, 2019–2023 comparisons; commuting pattern recovery analysis07 Data Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey, Table S0801, 2023. data.census.gov
- FHWA/DOT: 2022 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), public-use trip data. nhts.ornl.gov
- FHWA: Highway Statistics, Table MF-121T: State Tax Rates on Motor Fuel. fhwa.dot.gov
- EIA: Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices by state. eia.gov
- FHWA: Highway Statistics, Table VM-1: Annual Vehicle Miles Traveled. fhwa.dot.gov
- DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 40, Table 4.3: on-road fuel economy of the light-duty vehicle fleet, 23.7 MPG (2020, the most recent year published). tedb.ornl.gov