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Houston has one of the longest average commute times in the country; here’s where other cities rank

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – More than 50 million Americans have a commute to work of at least an hour (round trip) per day, but residents of several cities in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana have some of the shortest travel times. in the nation.

And as workers continue to return to the office post-Covid, a surge in commuters is hitting the roads.


Average travel times are increasing at a rapid rate for commuters who live in Mobile, Alabama; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Pomona, California; St. Petersburg, Florida; Clarksville, Tenn.; Yonkers, New York; Salinas, California; Escondido, California; Palmdale, California; and Stockton, California.

And according to a pre-Covid study conducted in eleven Latin American cities, for every 10 minutes a commuter spends in traffic, there is a 0.5% increased probability that the commuter will test positive for the virus. depression.

The same study found that another increased risk of depression is not having a public transportation stop within a 10-minute walk of a commuter’s home.

Use public transport to get around

Using public transport has positive effects on health, reduces air pollution and reduces the number of road accidents. Public transportation can also help prevent social isolation among older populations. And walking to public transportation stops reduces the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, heart disease, diabetes, and more.

LLC.org found the cities with the shortest commutes in the United States, and a surprising number of these cities are in the American South.

But before we look at the list of shortest commutes in the United States, we’ll look at the list of Southern cities with the longest average commutes.

Out of 171 cities on the list, Garland, Texas, ranks 20th as the city with the longest commutes in the country. Grand Prairie, Texas comes in at 33rd and Alexandria, Virginia comes in at 26th.th Worst city for commuting.

Houston has the 48th longest average commute in the country.

Shorter journeys

People spend the majority of their lives at work. Commuting is part of workers’ daily routine, and at least one study has found that those with shorter commute times tend to have better mental health and greater job satisfaction. They can also spend more free time with family and friends.

But here’s the big surprise: Southern cities dominate the list of U.S. cities with the shortest commutes.

Residents of Lubbock, Texas have the shortest commute in the country at 16.4 minutes, and Shreveport, Louisiana has an average commute time just two minutes longer.

It takes approximately 18.6 minutes to get to work if you live in Amarillo, Texas, 19 minutes if you live in Little Rock, and just under 20 minutes for residents of Corpus Christi, Texas.

The daily one-way commute in Baton Rouge takes an average of 21.6 minutes, and if you live in Austin, Texas, it will likely take you 22.4 minutes to get home from work each day.

New Yorkers commute 40.7 minutes one way to work, and the longest commute in the country belongs to residents of Palmdale, California, who commute 45.5 minutes one way to earn their keep. and their butter.

Can you imagine spending 11 days a year commuting? That’s how much time the average Hollywood, Florida resident spends driving to and from work. Residents of Jackson, Mississippi spend 6.7 full days commuting each year.

Travel times decrease in Fremont, California; McKinney, Texas; Springfield, Mass.; Mesa, Ariz.; St. Paul, Minnesota; and San Francisco, California.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau was analyzed to estimate average commute times for U.S. workers ages 16 and older.

The average travel time worldwide for a one-way trip is 40 minutes. Europeans travel on average 38 minutes one way per working day.

Around the world, people who use public transportation have longer travel times than people who drive cars.