See what the average commute is in Chester County, PA

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 Chester County using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics are calculated based on 2020 5-year estimates. Chester County has a shorter commute than three out of five neighboring counties, with Cecil County, MD having the longest commute at 30.6 minutes.

Chester County commuting by the numbers
- Average commute: 28.5 minutes
--- 4.9% higher than state average
--- #17 worst commute in the state
- Workers with 1+ hour commute: 10.3%
- Workers who drive to work: 82.0%
--- Workers who carpool to work: 6.5%
- Workers who take public transport to work: 2.4%
- Workers who work from home: 12.1%
- Left for work between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.: 10.0%
- Worked outside county of residence: 27.4%

Commutes in neighboring counties
#1. Lancaster County, PA: 23.6 minutes
#2. Berks County, PA: 25.3 minutes
#3. Chester County, PA: 28.5 minutes
#4. Montgomery County, PA: 29.0 minutes
#5. Delaware County, PA: 29.4 minutes
#6. Cecil County, MD: 30.6 minutes

Counties with the best commute in Pennsylvania
#1. Elk County: 17.4 minutes
#2. Montour County: 18.7 minutes
#3. Cameron County: 19.3 minutes

Counties with the worst commute in Pennsylvania
#1. Pike County: 45.6 minutes
#2. Monroe County: 40.0 minutes
#3. Philadelphia County: 33.4 minutes