See what the average commute is in Shelby County, AL

American commutes are getting longer, with a U.S. Census Bureau report released in 2021 revealing the average one-way commute in 2019 reached a record high of 27.6 minutes. Combined with high gas prices, workers' daily commutes are increasingly time-consuming and expensive—so much so that some are calling for commutes to count as part of the workday.

Even worse are travel times for "super commuters"—that unlucky 10% of Americans traveling more than one hour each way to punch a clock.

Stacker compiled statistics about the average commute in Shelby County using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics are calculated based on 2020 5-year estimates. Shelby County has a longer commute than three out of five neighboring counties, with Jefferson County, AL having the shortest commute at 24.3 minutes.

Shelby County commuting by the numbers
- Average commute: 29.6 minutes
--- 17.7% higher than state average
--- #18 worst commute in the state
- Workers with 1+ hour commute: 9.4%
- Workers who drive to work: 90.5%
--- Workers who carpool to work: 6.7%
- Workers who take public transport to work: 0.0%
- Workers who work from home: 8.2%
- Left for work between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.: 12.7%
- Worked outside county of residence: 46.2%

Commutes in neighboring counties
#1. Jefferson County, AL: 24.3 minutes
#2. Talladega County, AL: 25.4 minutes
#3. Coosa County, AL: 28.0 minutes
#4. Shelby County, AL: 29.6 minutes
#5. St. Clair County, AL: 30.4 minutes
#6. Chilton County, AL: 31.5 minutes

Counties with the best commute in Alabama
#1. Escambia County: 20.9 minutes
#1. Montgomery County: 20.9 minutes
#3. Houston County: 21.4 minutes

Counties with the worst commute in Alabama
#1. Pickens County: 35.9 minutes
#2. Choctaw County: 35.4 minutes
#3. Blount County: 34.5 minutes