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Top 10 U.S. States with the Longest Commutes

Name the states of the United States that spend the most time per day traveling to and from work.
2023 data; U.S. Census Bureau
Full list here
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: September 12, 2024
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First submittedSeptember 11, 2017
Times taken41,431
Average score70.0%
Rating4.30
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Minutes
State
65.6
New York
62.8
Maryland
62.8
New Jersey
59.8
Massachusetts
58.4
California
Minutes
State
57.4
Georgia
57.0
Florida
56.2
Illinois
55.4
West Virginia
55.0
Virginia
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53 Comments
Quizmaster
+12
Level ∞
Sep 12, 2024
2024 notes:

This is mostly the dense states that rely on public transit, or that have experienced huge growth (Florida/Georgia).

There was one change: Washington was replaced by West Virginia. It's easy to see why Washington dropped off the list. It probably has the highest percentage of tech workers of any state. The people with longer commutes are working from home now.

West Virginia, on the other hand, is weird. Most other rural states have short commutes. Maybe West Virginia has lots of small communities with no jobs, forcing people to travel further afield.

cshtthomas
+3
Level 60
Sep 12, 2017
Why no Alaska?
Tramp
+19
Level 78
Sep 12, 2017
Small cities?
Berney
+4
Level 83
Oct 26, 2017
People probably live closer to the cities.
goalslammer
+30
Level 45
Dec 27, 2017
half the state's population lives in Anchorage, and you can get from the edges to downtown in 20 minutes most of the time.
kalbahamut
+20
Level 81
Dec 27, 2017
From what I can guess and observe this list is more about states with sprawling urban areas (large populous suburbs scattered far from big cities) and very dense population centers than it is about states with a lot of land area. There's plenty of space in Alaska to spread out and you could live as far from work as you wanted to, but when given the option most people prefer to live close to where they work. Low population density means less traffic, too.
Quizmaster
+12
Level ∞
May 28, 2019
The most obvious correlation is the prevalence of public transport. Driving your own car is usually significantly faster than taking a bus or train. Taking a train involves walking, waiting, riding, and walking. Unless there is a connection in which case it is much longer. In contrast, a car can take you from door to door directly. Of course, when you take the train you are making traffic better for everyone else!
redsplat
+3
Level 73
Oct 7, 2019
Actually, the data support kalbahamut on this one. It's not transit, it's congestion and urban sprawl. There are lots of studies on the matter, but here's a quick explanation on NPR: https://www.npr.org/2018/09/20/650061560/stuck-in-traffic-youre-not-alone-new-data-show-american-commute-times-are-longer
Quizmaster
+15
Level ∞
Oct 8, 2019
I don't see any data analyzing the correlation between public transit and commute time in the above linked article. Semi-related side note: I feel like statistics should be a required class to get a major in journalism.
Jzakibe
+4
Level 77
Jan 17, 2020
Yes public transit does take longer than driving, but a lot of time those cities with good public transit infrastructure that people can rely on for work are in the major, densely populated cities. You can certainly drive your car into Manhattan to work, but for a lot of people it is easier to take the train and not deal with trying to find parking, paying out the nose for it, dealing with bridge and/or tunnel traffic. It certainly is a combination of factors.
Slipsteen
+2
Level 79
Dec 27, 2017
They use planes to get around in Alaska. Very few highways.
WolfCam
+15
Level 67
Jan 17, 2020
Excuse me, but I live in Juneau and I drive 36 hours to Kodiak every day!
pieman
+1
Level 53
Sep 25, 2024
you drive 36 hours to kodiak every day? dang Alaskan time must be distorted
ander217
+1
Level 75
Jan 17, 2020
Wow, I knew summer days were longer in Alaska but I didn't realize they became 36 hours long.
stg
+2
Level 48
Jan 3, 2018
Nobody there works! Highest unemployment in the nation! You have to work to have a commute!

Alaska basically has a negative state tax rate too, for many people, since every Alaskan gets a yearly payout from the government from profits due to exploiting the natural resources. Tends to cut down on the desire to work--according to Republicans, who therefore don't like to mention they are doing this in this red state.

Walacama
+6
Level 83
Jan 17, 2020
That does not commute, I mean compute.
TheForsakenFurby
+1
Level 76
Jun 6, 2023
The source mentions that people who work from home aren't included in the data. Given that, I doubt unemployed people are included.
tschutzer
+17
Level 93
Sep 12, 2017
Move to Greater New York, get used to audiobooks.
Qikiq
+9
Level 88
Nov 30, 2017
I live in NJ and audiobooks keep me sane.
redsplat
+4
Level 73
Sep 23, 2017
Is this all modes of transport? Or just private motor vehicle?
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
May 28, 2019
All modes. Trains and busses are much slower than cars on average in the U.S.
kalbahamut
+5
Level 81
Dec 27, 2017
wow, Hawaii? Wouldn't have guessed that. Are they traveling to different islands?
benzeller
+9
Level 65
Dec 27, 2017
Considering the fact that two-thirds of Hawaii's population lives in the Greater Honolulu area, I'd blame poor planning and uncooperative terrain
benzeller
+3
Level 65
Dec 27, 2017
A steady flow of tourists, wildly increasing population, and never-ending construction doesn't seem to help
JohnOfili
+3
Level 40
Dec 27, 2017
Traffic is awful in Honolulu as well.
SWATkun
+1
Level 59
Dec 27, 2017
A Metro is under construction.
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Oct 1, 2019
Seems like they're off the list now. Did the metro open?
cornflakesfu
+2
Level 88
Oct 1, 2019
Wikipedia says late 2020. So probably everywhere else just got worse.
Archer1212
+1
Level 64
Dec 27, 2017
that was way harder than i thought it'd be.
kiwiquizzer
+1
Level 68
Jan 17, 2020
Actually I found it surprisingly easy. Got them all! From little ol' New Zealand on the other side of the world. Where Auckland has the worst traffic of all...
DasCreamy109
+9
Level 47
Dec 27, 2017
Ah, ol' New Hampshire. No one realizes that New Hampshire is just a place for people to live who commute to Massachusetts. :)
meark03
+2
Level 63
Dec 27, 2017
I live in New Hampshire, and to be honest, most of the traffic isn't going down to Mass. It is the local traffic because of the small two lane highways. Every day I sit in traffic over the same bridge for at least 40 minutes.
Elan
+1
Level 66
Dec 27, 2017
Not gonna lie, I was expecting to see flyover central on this quiz. I'm very surprised.
ander217
+5
Level 75
Jan 17, 2020
That's another wonderful thing about the flyover states that we keep secret..er, I mean, our traffic is horrendous! Stay away!
bridog8456
+1
Level 47
Apr 1, 2018
Never would have guessed New Hampshire.
POOCH
+2
Level 72
Apr 26, 2018
I'm surprised not to see Texas on here. I don't think that I've ever been to Dallas, Houston, or Austin that I didn't get stuck in traffic for at least an hour - usually for endless construction delays.
kapulani3
+2
Level 74
Sep 30, 2019
Sorry but after living in SoCal for decades, I would have been happy with an hour. It's one of a long list of reasons I got out of hell. That just tells you that as bad as you think you have it, it is soooo much worse elsewhere. It should make you content with your hourish traffic.
Bdubz
+2
Level 42
Jul 26, 2019
States with high population density and/or big urban areas. Gives you pretty much all of these.
AwesomePotato170
+1
Level 62
Jan 15, 2025
+coal -land West Virginia
IsleAuHaulte
+1
Level 91
Oct 1, 2019
I thought everyone in Maine spent at least we an hour each way getting to work.
Sibawayh
+4
Level 46
Oct 1, 2019
As a New Jersey resident who just took 2 hours to get home today, I can confirm that commuting in this state is just awful.
Geoguessin
+3
Level 71
Jan 17, 2020
Damnnn imagine taking an hour to drive to work
TWM03
+1
Level 72
Jan 18, 2020
I think this is going both ways. But there will be many people significantly above average in these states so taking an hour is probably not unrealistic.
Jeremy
+2
Level 76
Sep 12, 2024
Happens to me about once or twice a month when there’s construction and my timing is bad. One time it took 90 minutes. I live 15 miles from work.
svelte
+3
Level 50
Jan 17, 2020
You have no idea how long it takes to drive in and from Atlanta. I live in a suburb maybe 40-50 milea away from it, but it usually takes 2 hours, plus. It seems like it's always rush hour.
Koopa
+1
Level 83
Sep 13, 2024
Some people do.
DonTheLamplighter
+6
Level 86
Jan 17, 2020
Couldn't figure out why it wouldn't accept the state of "Atlanta". *facepalm*
Jacktheguy
+1
Level 92
Jan 17, 2020
I'm glad I live in a part of Virginia where traffic is usually pretty decent but every now and then some idiot driver has to cause an accident on the highway.
JackintheBox
+1
Level 80
Apr 3, 2020
AARRGHGH I spelt Massachusetts wrong.....so I only got 9/10
FlabberBapper
+5
Level 76
Sep 12, 2024
My guess for why West Virginia is on here is perhaps cause there's not that much work there to begin with since the fleeting coal industry and since it already has a small population, perhaps the stat is being heavily weighted by those in the Martinsburg area that commute to DC for work or from those in the Wheeling area that commute to Pittsburgh? I really can't fathom how WV is on here otherwise
MalyJacus
+1
Level 59
Sep 23, 2024
Yep, agree with the comment. I know lots of people from the Martinsburg area who commute to DC and DC suburbs. I was not at all surprised to see WV on here, given Maryland and VA were on here as well. “The bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.” Oscar Wilde. Drain the swamp people!!~!!
GeoHive
+1
Level 68
Oct 28, 2024
I live in the eastern panhandle of west Virginia and can confirm many people drive to D.C. for work. Which does take upwards of 2 hours depending on where you're traveling to. As for the rest of the state, I suspect its is due to the fact that almost every large city in the state is on the border which makes it more appealing for someone, lets say, in Huntington, travel to an Ohio place for work rather than spend and hour traveling to Charleston.
Kawada01
+1
Level 62
Mar 31, 2025
Although technically correct, the reasoning Quizmaster used to explain these results is wrong. In most of these places, taking public transport will get you to work faster than driving would. These very long commute times would be EVEN LONGER if everyone drove to work instead of taking the subway or the L or whatever else they're called.
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