1 / 50
#50. Lancaster--Palmdale, CA
- Population: 353,643
- Median Commute Time: 20 to 24 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 29%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Los Angeles, CA
Cities with the Worst Commutes in America
"Commute" is a dirty word. Commuting affects our physical and psychological well-being, and commutes longer than 31 miles each way can even shorten a person's lifespan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends over 50 minutes traveling to work and back each day. That is equivalent to more than 18 hours of commuting a month and roughly eight and a half days of a commuting a year. However, as anyone stuck in Atlanta rush hour traffic or the New York City subway at 7 AM will tell you, commuter experiences can vary widely from city to city.
We used the recently-released 2016 American Community Survey to identify which U.S. cities had the longest median commute times in the nation. Our findings revealed that while the expected heavy-hitters like New York City make the list, it is the suburb-dwellers outside major metro areas who oftentimes suffer the most.
For our analysis, we focused on urban areas, which is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as densely-populated areas with more than 65,000 people. These urban areas are ranked by the median one-way commute time to help represent the typical commuter. In the event of a tie, the city with a higher percentage of residents with one-way commutes of more than 60 minutes is used to determine which areas have the more frustrating commuter experience.
We'll begin our list with the city that has the 50th worst commuter experience and slog our way to the top. Can you take a guess at which cities' residents spend the most time cursing at their steering wheels?
You may also like: The 10 most dangerous cities in America
2 / 50
#49. Lee's Summit, MO
- Population: 89,812
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 4%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Kansas City, MO
3 / 50
#48. Orlando, FL
- Population: 1,718,406
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 7%
4 / 50
#47. Denton--Lewisville, TX
- Population: 415,255
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 8%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Dallas, TX
5 / 50
#46. Dallas--Fort Worth--Arlington, TX
- Population: 5,690,531
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 8%
You may also like: Worst-run cities in America
6 / 50
#45. Cape Coral, FL
- Population: 614,941
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 8%
7 / 50
#44. San Jose, CA
- Population: 1,788,846
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 9%
8 / 50
#43. Texas City, TX
- Population: 119,398
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 10%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Houston, TX
9 / 50
#42. Miami, FL
- Population: 5,992,775
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 11%
10 / 50
#41. McKinney, TX
- Population: 230,180
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 11%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Dallas, TX
You may also like: 50 best cities to raise a family
11 / 50
#40. Houston, TX
- Population: 5,607,133
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 11%
12 / 50
#39. Baltimore, MD
- Population: 2,292,343
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 11%
13 / 50
#38. Avondale--Goodyear, AZ
- Population: 221,256
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 11%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Phoenix, AZ
14 / 50
#37. Aberdeen--Bel Air South--Bel Air North, MD
- Population: 215,810
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 11%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Baltimore, MD
15 / 50
#36. Urban Honolulu, HI
- Population: 837,906
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 12%
You may also like: Best county to live in for every state
16 / 50
#35. Simi Valley, CA
- Population: 127,137
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 12%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Los Angeles, CA.
17 / 50
#34. Seattle, WA
- Population: 3,387,102
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 12%
18 / 50
#33. Pottstown, PA
- Population: 109,908
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 12%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Philadelphia, PA
19 / 50
#32. Philadelphia, PA--NJ--DE--MD
- Population: 5,555,493
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 12%
20 / 50
#31. Los Angeles--Long Beach--Anaheim, CA
- Population: 12,615,510
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 13%
You may also like: Most dangerous cities in America
21 / 50
#30. Marysville, WA
- Population: 156,645
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 14%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Seattle, WA
22 / 50
#29. Riverside--San Bernardino, CA
- Population: 2,073,652
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 17%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Los Angeles, CA
23 / 50
#28. Petaluma, CA
- Population: 67,123
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 17%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Areas: San Francisco, CA and Oakland, CA
24 / 50
#27. Poughkeepsie--Newburgh, NY--NJ
- Population: 434,846
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 18%
25 / 50
#26. Victorville--Hesperia, CA
- Population: 340,982
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 23%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Los Angeles, CA
You may also like: Average HELOC balances surpassed $45,000 in 2024
26 / 50
#25. Fredericksburg, VA
- Population: 157,583
- Median Commute Time: 25 to 29 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 26%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Washington, D.C.
27 / 50
#24. Kailua (Honolulu County)--Kaneohe, HI
- Population: 116,849
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 6%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Honolulu, HI
28 / 50
#23. Kissimmee, FL
- Population: 361,878
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 8%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Orlando, FL
29 / 50
#22. South Lyon--Howell, MI
- Population: 123,210
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 11%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Detroit, MI
30 / 50
#21. Deltona, FL
- Population: 201,009
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 12%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Orlando, FL
You may also like: Best places to raise a family in the West
31 / 50
#20. Round Lake Beach--McHenry--Grayslake, IL--WI
- Population: 291,309
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 13%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Chicago, IL
32 / 50
#19. Slidell, LA
- Population: 94,136
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 14%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: New Orleans, LA
33 / 50
#18. San Juan, PR
- Population: 1,979,626
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 14%
34 / 50
#17. Chicago, IL--IN
- Population: 8,660,237
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 14%
35 / 50
#16. Boston, MA--NH--RI
- Population: 4,406,447
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 14%
You may also like: The 20 best places to live in America
36 / 50
#15. Atlanta, GA
- Population: 4,970,669
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 14%
37 / 50
#14. San Francisco--Oakland, CA
- Population: 3,529,790
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 15%
38 / 50
#13. Washington, DC--VA--MD
- Population: 4,983,485
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 16%
39 / 50
#12. Westminster--Eldersburg, MD
- Population: 66,403
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 19%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Baltimore, MD
40 / 50
#11. Santa Clarita, CA
- Population: 266,721
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 21%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Los Angeles, CA
You may also like: Best-run cities in America
41 / 50
#10. Gilroy--Morgan Hill, CA
- Population: 110,039
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 21%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: San Jose, CA
42 / 50
#9. Vallejo, CA
- Population: 175,022
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 22%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Areas: San Francisco, CA and Oakland, CA
43 / 50
#8. New York--Newark, NY--NJ--CT
- Population: 18,954,313
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 22%
44 / 50
#7. Hemet, CA
- Population: 184,423
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 23%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Los Angeles, CA
45 / 50
#6. Concord, CA
- Population: 666,866
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 23%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: San Francisco, CA
You may also like: Best counties for retirees in America
46 / 50
#5. Twin Rivers--Hightstown, NJ
- Population: 70,902
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 24%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: New York City, NY
47 / 50
#4. Murrieta--Temecula--Menifee, CA
- Population: 493,787
- Median Commute Time: 30 to 34 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 27%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Areas: Los Angeles, CA and San Diego, CA
48 / 50
#3. Antioch, CA
- Population: 304,063
- Median Commute Time: 35 to 39 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 30%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Areas: San Francisco, CA and Oakland, CA
49 / 50
#2. Waldorf, MD
- Population: 115,978
- Median Commute Time: 40 to 44 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 31%
- Nearby Major Metropolitan Area: Washington, D.C.
50 / 50
#1. Tracy, CA
- Population: 92,140
- Median Commute Time: 45 to 49 minutes
- Commuters with 60 Minutes or More of One-Way Travel Time: 39%
- Nearest Major Metropolitan Areas: San Francisco, CA; Oakland, CA; and San Jose, CA
You may also like: The 25 best lake towns to live in
