Counties with the most super commuters in California
Counties with the most super commuters in California
There are more than 281 million vehicles on the road in the United States, and many of those cars, trucks, vans, and motorcycles are used to ferry people to and from their homes and jobs during their daily commutes. A small but growing number of people are walking and biking to work, particularly in compact college towns. Many more take public transportation, especially in major cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Boston, and Seattle—but nationwide, public transit accounts for only about 5% of daily commutes.
The overwhelming majority of people still drive to and from work every day, and the vast majority of those car commuters drive alone—fewer than 10% of Americans carpool. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average one-way commute in the United States has grown to a record 27.1 minutes. That’s just shy of an hour a day that average Americans squander behind the wheel, not at home with their families, and instead, burning gas and putting miles on their cars.
For some Americans, however, the commute to work is far from average. A phenomenon known as super commuting has emerged and grown in recent years. Super commuters spend 90 minutes or more—each way—chasing their paychecks every day. The biggest percentage of super commuters work in the extraction industry, with workers pursuing lucrative jobs in remote mines, oil fields, and other energy operations. Many more, however, have been priced out of expensive housing in urban metro areas where high-paying jobs are located, far away from their less-expensive county of residence.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most super commuters in California using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by highest percent of workers with a commute over 90 minutes, based on 2019 5-year estimates. Keep reading to see where in your state people are spending the most time going to and from work every day.
#30. Sacramento County
--- #819 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 19.6% less common than state average
--- 16.5% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 27.8 minutes
--- #741 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 6.7% shorter than state average
--- 0.7% longer than national average
#29. Tehama County
--- #789 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 17.9% less common than state average
--- 19.0% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 23.4 minutes
--- #1,624 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 21.5% shorter than state average
--- 15.2% shorter than national average
#28. Mendocino County
--- #783 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 17.7% less common than state average
--- 19.4% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 20.8 minutes
--- #2,170 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 30.2% shorter than state average
--- 24.6% shorter than national average
#27. Placer County
--- #778 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 17.5% less common than state average
--- 19.6% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 27.9 minutes
--- #724 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 6.4% shorter than state average
--- 1.1% longer than national average
#26. Ventura County
--- #770 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 17.1% less common than state average
--- 20.3% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 27.2 minutes
--- #829 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 8.7% shorter than state average
--- 1.4% shorter than national average

#25. Sutter County
--- #715 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 13.8% less common than state average
--- 25.0% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 27.5 minutes
--- #795 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 7.7% shorter than state average
--- 0.4% shorter than national average

#24. Sonoma County
--- #638 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 8.3% less common than state average
--- 32.9% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 25.6 minutes
--- #1,126 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 14.1% shorter than state average
--- 7.2% shorter than national average

#23. Napa County
--- #635 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 8.3% less common than state average
--- 33.0% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 25.6 minutes
--- #1,126 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 14.1% shorter than state average
--- 7.2% shorter than national average

#22. Santa Cruz County
--- #624 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 7.5% less common than state average
--- 34.1% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 27.7 minutes
--- #763 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 7.0% shorter than state average
--- 0.4% longer than national average
#21. San Francisco
--- #608 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 6.6% less common than state average
--- 35.5% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 33.8 minutes
--- #151 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 13.4% longer than state average
--- 22.5% longer than national average

#20. Los Angeles County
--- #592 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 5.3% less common than state average
--- 37.3% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 31.8 minutes
--- #277 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 6.7% longer than state average
--- 15.2% longer than national average
#19. Marin County
--- #504 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 1.9% more common than state average
--- 47.7% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 32.6 minutes
--- #220 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 9.4% longer than state average
--- 18.1% longer than national average

#18. Madera County
--- #501 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 2.1% more common than state average
--- 48.0% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 28.3 minutes
--- #663 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 5.0% shorter than state average
--- 2.5% longer than national average
#17. Nevada County
--- #457 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 7.0% more common than state average
--- 55.2% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 25.5 minutes
--- #1,146 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 14.4% shorter than state average
--- 7.6% shorter than national average
#16. Mariposa County
--- #397 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 14.4% more common than state average
--- 65.9% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 26.6 minutes
--- #934 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 10.7% shorter than state average
--- 3.6% shorter than national average
#15. El Dorado County
--- #395 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 14.6% more common than state average
--- 66.1% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 30 minutes
--- #445 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 0.7% longer than state average
--- 8.7% longer than national average
#14. Alameda County
--- #376 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 16.9% more common than state average
--- 69.5% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 34.3 minutes
--- #127 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 15.1% longer than state average
--- 24.3% longer than national average
#13. Colusa County
--- #352 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 19.9% more common than state average
--- 73.9% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 25.7 minutes
--- #1,109 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 13.8% shorter than state average
--- 6.9% shorter than national average
#12. San Bernardino County
--- #167 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 54.6% more common than state average
--- 124.1% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 31.6 minutes
--- #290 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 6.0% longer than state average
--- 14.5% longer than national average
#11. Tuolumne County
--- #164 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 55.2% more common than state average
--- 125.1% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 26.9 minutes
--- #886 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 9.7% shorter than state average
--- 2.5% shorter than national average
#10. Lake County
--- #134 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 66.1% more common than state average
--- 140.8% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 30.7 minutes
--- #371 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 3.0% longer than state average
--- 11.2% longer than national average
#9. Amador County
--- #128 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 67.9% more common than state average
--- 143.5% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 32.7 minutes
--- #213 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 9.7% longer than state average
--- 18.5% longer than national average
#8. Solano County
--- #109 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 75.8% more common than state average
--- 154.9% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 33.2 minutes
--- #183 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 11.4% longer than state average
--- 20.3% longer than national average

#7. Riverside County
--- #93 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 83.8% more common than state average
--- 166.5% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 34 minutes
--- #138 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 14.1% longer than state average
--- 23.2% longer than national average
#6. Calaveras County
--- #77 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 99.1% more common than state average
--- 188.7% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 38.3 minutes
--- #38 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 28.5% longer than state average
--- 38.8% longer than national average
#5. Merced County
--- #73 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 104.3% more common than state average
--- 196.2% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 28.6 minutes
--- #615 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 4.0% shorter than state average
--- 3.6% longer than national average
#4. Stanislaus County
--- #72 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 104.5% more common than state average
--- 196.5% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 29.9 minutes
--- #454 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 0.3% longer than state average
--- 8.3% longer than national average
#3. Contra Costa County
--- #61 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 119.3% more common than state average
--- 218.0% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 38.7 minutes
--- #33 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 29.9% longer than state average
--- 40.2% longer than national average
#2. San Benito County
--- #59 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 121.2% more common than state average
--- 220.8% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 35.7 minutes
--- #81 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 19.8% longer than state average
--- 29.3% longer than national average

#1. San Joaquin County
--- #36 most common among all counties nationwide
--- 142.9% more common than state average
--- 252.2% more common than national average
- Average commute time: 34.2 minutes
--- #131 longest among all counties nationwide
--- 14.8% longer than state average
--- 23.9% longer than national average