The majority of people 16 and older choose to commute alone. This trend does not appear to be diminishing. As a matter of fact, the number of workers choosing to carpool dropped from 19 percent in 1980 to 13 percent in 2000. Less people are using non-motorized means to get to work and public transportation as a commute choice is holding constant. There has been a slight increase in the number of people chosing to work from home.
Workers 16 Years and Older by Travel Choice
1980 - 2000
Note: Numbers are rounded to nearest whole percentage (except Other Means).
Source: US Census Data
Source Data: Workers by travel choice source info.
Average travel time to work
1980 - 21.0 minutes
1990 - 22.0 minutes
2000 - 25.5 minutes
Most workers still travel under 45 minutes one-way. Notice that the number of drivers (below) traveling less than 45 minutes actually increases, though the percentages decrease. The number of people driving 45 minutes or more increases both in number and percent.
Workers traveling more or less than 45 minutes to work
More and more people are traveling further distances to work. The number of workers employed outside of their home county is increasing, though still relatively small.
Percent of Workers Working Outside of Home County
1980 - 2000
See also:
Commute Trends
Vehicle Miles Traveled