METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

NYC has longest commute time via car and transit, study says

At just 26 minutes, San Diego was named as the U.S. city with the shortest average commute time.

April 25, 2019
NYC has longest commute time via car and transit, study says

A new study from Geotab depicts varying travel patterns across America and identify the U.S. cities with the longest and shortest commutes.

Geotab

3 min to read


A new study from Geotab depicts varying travel patterns across America and identify the U.S. cities with the longest and shortest commutes. Geotab

New York City has the longest commute time via car and public transit, according to a new study from Geotab. The study analyzed commuter sprawl across 20 major cities in the U.S.

The results depict varying travel patterns across America and identify the U.S. cities with the longest and shortest commutes. The interactive piece also ranks the least and most reachable city centers.

Ad Loading...

Utilizing the 2012-2016 CTPP tabulation of the American Community Survey, Geotab examined data from more than 14 million commuters, calculating mean commute times from census tract areas across the U.S. travelling into 20 of the biggest cities in America. The company then used this data to create detailed maps visualizing these complex travel patterns, highlighting the true commuter boundaries of each of these cities.

“These maps provide us with an alternative way of thinking about cities. A city doesn’t necessarily stop at the official city boundaries — instead, they continue to sprawl much further thanks to the commuters that travel in and out of these areas for work throughout each and every single week,” said Maria Sotra, VP of Marketing at Geotab.

According to the results of Geotab’s Time to Commute study, the U.S. city with the longest average commute was found to be New York City, with those commuting into the city spending 43 minutes travelling on average. Commuters in NYC also face the longest commute by transit (53 minutes) and the city was identified as America’s least reachable city, with only 4% of commuters able to travel into the city in half an hour or less. Additionally, only 28% of NYC commuters can access the city within 30 minutes by car, while just 6% of public transit users can access the city within 30 minutes.

At just 26 minutes, San Diego was named as the U.S. city with the shortest average commute time.The coastal Californian city also has the shortest commute by car (26 minutes) and was deemed as the most reachable, with 72% of commuters able to access the city within 30 minutes. While 77% of San Diego commuters travelling by car can travel to the city within half an hour, only 17% of public transit users can commute into the city within half an hour. The most reachable city for public transit users is Minneapolis, which 31% of commuters can travel into within 30 minutes.

“This research also highlights the need for ongoing investment in transportation infrastructure across the country,” added Sotra. “The stark contrast between how many cities are easily reachable by car versus those that are easily reachable by public transit suggests that there is still some way to go in ensuring that these cities can be accessed in a reasonable amount of time regardless of your mode of transport.”

Ad Loading...






More Management

Managementby StaffMarch 19, 2026

People Movement: The Latest from TARTA, STV, and More

METRO’s People Movement highlights the latest leadership changes, promotions, and personnel news across the public transit, motorcoach, and people mobility sectors.

Read More →
A BART railcar
Managementby StaffMarch 19, 2026

BART Monetizes Empty Parking With New Online Leasing Tool

BART began offering select parking lots to non-BART riders to generate new revenue to help address its FY27 $376M operating budget deficit brought on by remote work.

Read More →
MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber sits with a customer service employee and takes calls.
Managementby Elora HaynesMarch 19, 2026

Transit Agencies Nationwide Celebrate 2026 National Transit Employee Appreciation Day

Agencies across the U.S. honored transit workers on March 18, recognizing the essential roles they play in keeping communities moving daily.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Cover for METROspectives with Inez Evans Benson
ManagementMarch 18, 2026

Inez Evans-Benson on Leadership and the Future of Transportation

Drawing on decades of industry experience, Evans-Benson offered insights into the differences between the two, along with tips for better customer engagement and more.

Read More →
An RTC of Washoe County bus driving down Virginia Street.
Managementby StaffMarch 18, 2026

Keolis Lands 3 Contract Renewals

The renewals include continued operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida; the PRTC in Virginia; and RTC Washoe in Nevada.  

Read More →
A MARTA employee using the new Better Breeze fare ticket machines.
Managementby StaffMarch 17, 2026

MARTA’s New 'Better Breeze' Fare System Nears Launch

The new system introduces tap-to-pay, touchscreen kiosks, and updated Breeze cards, with both old and new systems running through May.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A wide angle view of two MTA buses with three people walking between them.
Managementby StaffMarch 16, 2026

Proposed Auto Insurance Reform Would Save New York’s MTA Millions Annually

The governor’s proposed auto insurance reforms could save the agency $48 million annually by limiting payouts in crashes where buses are not primarily at fault.

Read More →
paratransit bus
SponsoredMarch 16, 2026

Measuring the True Cost of Paratransit Fleets

What truly drives the cost of a paratransit fleet? Beyond the purchase price, seven operational factors quietly determine maintenance frequency, downtime, and long-term service reliability. This whitepaper explores how these factors shape lifecycle cost and what agencies should evaluate when selecting paratransit vehicles.

Read More →
Cover photo for METROspectives with The Bus Coalition
Busby Alex RomanMarch 13, 2026

Inside The Bus Coalition’s Push for Stronger Federal Transit Investment

In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Amanda Wanke
Managementby StaffMarch 13, 2026

Des Moines DART CEO Joins Minneapolis Metro Transit

Amanda Wanke, who has worked at DART for 10 years, including the past 2½ years as CEO, will join Metro Transit as deputy chief operating officer, operations administration.

Read More →