See what the average commute is in Polk County, AR

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 Polk County using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics are calculated based on 2020 5-year estimates. Polk County has a shorter commute than five out of six neighboring counties, with Montgomery County, AR having the longest commute at 29.6 minutes.

Polk County commuting by the numbers
- Average commute: 22.3 minutes
--- 2.4% higher than state average
--- #38 worst commute in the state
- Workers with 1+ hour commute: 6.4%
- Workers who drive to work: 93.4%
--- Workers who carpool to work: 15.8%
- Workers who take public transport to work: 0.4%
- Workers who work from home: 4.2%
- Left for work between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.: 18.9%
- Worked outside county of residence: 9.1%

Commutes in neighboring counties
#1. McCurtain County, OK: 21.5 minutes
#2. Polk County, AR: 22.3 minutes
#3. Le Flore County, OK: 24.6 minutes
#4. Scott County, AR: 26.8 minutes
#5. Sevier County, AR: 27.0 minutes
#6. Pike County, AR: 28.7 minutes
#7. Montgomery County, AR: 29.6 minutes

Counties with the best commute in Arkansas
#1. Phillips County: 16.2 minutes
#2. Baxter County: 16.7 minutes
#3. Columbia County: 17.4 minutes

Counties with the worst commute in Arkansas
#1. Perry County: 35.2 minutes
#2. Cleveland County: 32.7 minutes
#3. Madison County: 32.1 minutes