Which Cities Have the Best and Worst Commutes?

Commutes are a way of life for most workers in the U.S., with the average adult spending 219 hours — or nine days — commuting annually. A commute can be particularly grueling if it’s long, dangerous or expensive. Considering these factors, MoneyGeek used data from the U.S. Census, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other sources to find the metro areas with the best and worst commutes in the country.

Our study analyzed data for the 124 largest metro areas in the U.S. and factored in the average commute time for a one-way commute, average driving speed during rush hour, risk of being in a fatal car crash during a morning commute and annual gas cost in dollars for each metro. One surprising finding? Nine of the top ten worst commutes are in two of the most populous states, California and Florida.

• Vallejo and Stockton, California, residents have the worst commutes of any U.S. metro area based on commute time, amount of gridlock, morning commute crash rates and fuel costs.

• New Yorkers spend the most time — 39 minutes, or 339 hours annually — on an average one-way daily commute in the country.

• Memphis, Tennessee, and Tucson, Arizona, have the deadliest morning commutes in America.

• Madison, Wisconsin, and Boulder, Colorado, have the best commutes in the U.S.

To find the cities with the worst commutes, MoneyGeek analyzed commute data for metro areas with populations of 200,000 or more. We examined four core factors in this analysis: average commute time, average rush hour speed driven, cost of gas and morning commute fatal crash rates. MoneyGeek found that metro areas in two of the country’s most populous states — Florida and California — represented 9 of the 10 worst cities for commuting.

From this data, you can see why Stockton and Riverside, California — the top two cities in our study — have the worst commutes in the U.S.: people spend, on average, 35 minutes commuting, driving at a speed of 28 miles per hour. Gas costs also figure into a miserable commute: people in Stockton spend an average of $1,968 per year on gas.

From this data, you can see why Vallejo and Stockton, California — the top two cities in our study — have the worst commutes in the U.S.: people spend, on average, 35 minutes commuting, driving at a speed of 28 miles per hour. Gas costs also figure into a miserable commute: people in Vallejo spend an average of $1,792 per year on gas. Car insurance costs can also add to the financial headache of an already bad commute. For example, the average cost of auto insurance in California is $1,368 annually.

Commuting seems more painful when drivers are stuck in slow-moving traffic for long periods of time. In addition to ranking cities with the worst overall commutes, MoneyGeek also measured “commute agony,” a metric that combines long average commute times and slow commute speeds. To obtain this figure, we looked at the average distance for a one-way commute and the average miles per hour driven during rush hour.

In the No.1 spot for commute agony is the New York metro area, where people spend 39 minutes on average commuting, traveling just 12.4 mph.

Washington, D.C., is close behind at No.2, with an average commute of 35 minutes traveling 14.3 mph. Two California cities also rank high for commute agony: the San Francisco and Los Angeles metro areas. Both cities have an average commute time exceeding 30 minutes, with speeds under 20 mph.

Fuel costs are also a significant concern in many places. Riverside, California, gets a bad rap in our study, with the highest fuel costs in the U.S. There, the average driver pays $1,931 per year for gas. Not surprisingly, California metro area gas prices occupy nine out of the top ten spots for worst cities by commute cost, with Bridgeport, Connecticut ($1,492), also sneaking into the list at number nine.

But which cities have the best gas prices for commuters? Texas includes two cities with some of the lowest gas expenses, McAllen and Corpus Christi, with yearly gas costs averaging below $670. Boston and Springfield in Massachusetts also offer competitive rates, featuring in the top ten with yearly gas prices below $730.

In addition to fuel costs and agonizing time spent sitting in traffic, our study also examined the cities with the most dangerous commutes. Here, we analyzed the average yearly number of fatal crashes during morning commute hours (6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.) per 100,000 residents from 2018 to 2022.

The city with the most fatal morning commute crashes is Memphis, Tennessee, with 0.77 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents annually. Tucson, Arizona, and Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky, follow closely with 0.64 and 0.58 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents each year. Jacksonville, Florida, with the tenth-worst overall commute, ranks No.4 in dangerous commutes, with 0.54 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents annually.

Looking at shorter commutes, faster rush hour speeds, and lower gas prices and crash rates, MoneyGeek found that Madison, Wisconsin, is the top city for commuters, with an average commute time of 23 minutes. Other cities in our top ten list include Boulder, Colorado, with an average commute time of 24 minutes, and Des Moines, Iowa, with an average rush hour speed of 37 mph.

A commute can be a stressful experience, and sitting still for long amounts of time or driving in dangerous situations can also be hazardous to your health. The unfortunate reality is that many people have no choice economically but to live in places with bad commutes.

For those who have a longer commute time and are looking for ways to stave off “commute agony,” there are some deceptively simple strategies that can help. Believe it or not, there are actually yoga poses you can do in the car, although some of them should only be done when your vehicle is completely stopped. Gentle stretching and practicing yoga can help protect your body from risks of muscle strain from prolonged inactivity.

Listening to music while driving can be another excellent way to relieve stress. Audiobooks also offer a great way to catch up on reading. And, for virtually any interest you might have, from true crime to gardening, there’s likely to be a dedicated podcast, so exploring what’s available on your smartphone’s podcasts is another way to pass the time.

Reducing the costs of a commute is another area that drivers can have some control over. Having peace of mind that you are covered by affordable auto insurance in the event of an accident can help to remove some of the stress of commuting. Full coverage insurance offers the most protection of any policy type, helping you pay for damages to your vehicle after an accident, even if the other driver is uninsured or you were at fault. By comparing quotes from the best car insurance companies in your area, you can find a reasonably priced, financially protective policy.

MoneyGeek ranked 124 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) with labor forces of 200,000 people or more for commute quality by considering four core factors: commute time, average driving speed during rush hour, cost of gas and morning commute fatal crash rates.

We used data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the average time spent commuting by city, data from NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System to assess how many fatal crashes happen during commuting hours, and data from Gas Prices API to calculate the fuel cost of commuting by city based on time spent commuting, the average price of gas and the average fuel efficiency of vehicles.

We also took data from tomtom.com to determine the average rush hour speeds during morning and evening rush hours. Commuting hours for fatal crashes in this study were from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Finally, commute agony was computed by taking the average of scores computed from commute time and average rush hour speed.

The data points presented are defined as follows:

• Final Score: Here, a lower Final Score indicates a worse commute. Final Score is a weighted average score with the following weights:
  a) Avg. One-Way Commute (Minutes): 37.5%
  b) Avg Rush Hour Speed mph: 12.5%
  c) Morning Commute Crash Rate: 25%
  a) Annual Gas Cost: 25%
• % of Pop. With an Ideal Commute: Percent of population with 10–20 minute one-way commute times, which were defined as ideal by a study conducted by the University of California Transportation Center.
• Avg. One-Way Commute (Minutes): How many minutes it takes to commute to work or back from work (one way)
• Avg. Rush Hour Speed (mph): Average speed during rush hour in miles per hour (rush hour here refers to both morning and evening periods).
• Morning Commute Crash Rate: The average yearly number of morning commute (6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.) fatal crashes from 2018 to 2022 per 100,000 residents.
• Annual Gas Cost: Estimated using average commute distance (average commute time multiplied by average commute speed), an estimated miles per gallon of 24 and the local price of gas.