Employment Spot

U.S. Longest and Shortest Commute To and From Work

All employees know that “time is money.” Shortening your daily commute is therefore one way to save time, energy and money. No one wants to sit in traffic on the way home after a long day at work. Your boss certainly does not want you to come in late after wasting valuable time in a traffic jam. Consider your commute when looking for employment. For assistance, find links to jobs in states with the longest average commutes and shortest average commutes, measured in minutes. The combined average commute for the United States was 25.1 minutes per day according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American FactFinder.

Shortest Commutes: Travel to and from work with ease and minimized frustration in the following twelve states.

1. North Dakota - 16.3 minutes
2. South Dakota – 16.6 minutes
3. Wyoming and Montana – 17.3 minutes
4. Nebraska – 17.9 minutes
5. Alaska – 18.3 minutes
6. Kansas and Iowa – 18.4 minutes
7. Idaho – 19.8 minutes
8. Oklahoma – 20.1 minutes
9. Utah – 20.5 minutes
10. Wisconsin – 20.8 minutes

Longest Commutes: Though workers in these states may have longer commutes, you can certainly minimize the time you sit in the car. Look into public transportation opportunities between your home and office or find people to carpool with. When job searching, consider companies that allow compressing the workweek into four 10-hour days or encourage employees to commute during off-peak hours.

1. New York – 31.2 minutes
2. Maryland – 30.8 minutes
3. New Jersey – 29.5 minutes
4. District of Columbia – 29.3 minutes
5. Illinois – 28.1 minutes
6. Georgia – 27.2 minutes
7. California, Massachusetts and Virginia – 27.0 minutes
8. Florida – 26.0 minutes
9. Hawaii – 25.7 minutes
10. Pennsylvania – 25.1 minutes