For many Americans, the drive to and from work involves enduring slow-moving traffic. The commute remains one of the top complaints workers have about returning to offices.
However, in certain cities, driving during rush hour is less problematic.
Columbus, Ohio; Memphis, Tenn.; and Milwaukee have some of the fastest commutes, averaging around 22 minutes one way, according to a new analysis of federal data. While the data includes all types of commutes, three out of four American workers drive. When measured by miles per hour, Fort Worth, Texas; Memphis; and Detroit have speedy commutes. They average 27 miles an hour—4 mph faster than the U.S. average—without significant congestion delays, according to research conducted by the Harris Poll and ride-share company Lyft. Most commuters say time is their most important factor.
“Just getting around town is very simple,” Vahid Behzadi said about his Fort Worth commute. “It’s a big city, but it’s not overwhelmed with traffic.”
Behzadi drives to Fort Worth a couple of times a week from his home in Frisco, Texas, 50 miles away. The founder of Pocket Case Manager says it takes about 45 minutes on the highway with an optional toll road if needed. Before moving to Texas several years ago, he commuted in Los Angeles for 15 years.
“In L.A., any time of the day, you’re probably stuck somewhere,” Behzadi said.
On average, workers spend nearly 27 minutes commuting each way to and from work according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Shaving just three minutes per trip off a commute three days a week can save a worker 13 hours a year according to the new analysis.
The cities with fast drive times either had visionary urban planning or well-run public transit programs that help ease car traffic or smaller populations on bigger roadways that made commuting less frustrating according to transportation researchers and city officials.
Memphis installed 150 miles of fiber optics to coordinate traffic signals and gather real-time data on traffic flow. This technology has helped reduce average travel time on major roadways by about 20%, said Randall Tatum, the city’s senior traffic engineering administrator.
Jeremy Adams said it takes him half an hour to commute downtown Columbus from his home in Dublin driving at 65 miles an hour on the freeway.
“You pretty much have a highway available within a 10-minute to 15-minute drive,” he said about how suburbs are planned and connected in Columbus. “There’s usually two or three ways to get somewhere in about the same amount of time.”
Multiple highway options distinguish Columbus from other cities where Adams has commuted including Atlanta. On a business trip to Norcross driving from his hotel could take up to 30 minutes due to traffic despite being close by Adams said.
Commute times have increased since 2021 as companies called workers back but remain shorter than before the pandemic. In 2023 Americans spent an average of 26.8 minutes commuting one way compared with 27.6 minutes in 2019 according to Census Bureau data.
Researchers synthesized Lyft data on traffic speeds during rush hours in large cities giving high-speed scores also for Las Vegas San Diego and Tucson Ariz.
New York Chicago and Los Angeles have high numbers of hours lost due to delays during car commutes according to transportation research firm Inrix wasting between 89-101 hours annually in traffic there during rush hours Some metro areas including Washington D.C., Seattle and Charlotte N.C., show less commute time lost compared with pre-pandemic levels reflecting shifts towards remote work flexible schedules driving non-rush periods Bob Pishue Inrix’s senior economist noted
Cities known for slow commutes can experience significantly slower-than-average travel times during rush hours Boston trips taking longer Friday afternoons versus Saturday nights Eric Bourassa director at Boston Metropolitan Area Planning Council noted this might explain why Boston has fewer car commuters report says noting that around thirteen percent walk instead
