10 U.S. Cities With the Absolute Worst Commute Times

Nobody enjoys a long commute to work, yet for people in some U.S. cities, it's just a part of regular life. To find out which city truly has it the worst, we pulled together comprehensive data on commuting habits across the nation, including which cities have the longest commute times and how people prefer to commute.

Is your area packed with walkers, like Cambridge, Massachusetts? Or are your neighbors more likely to cycle to work, like many do in Trenton, New Jersey? Make sure you take a look at the study, which has a great interactive map so you can review the commute times in your own city and make smart money moves. You might even find a quicker and more affordable way to get to work.

In the meantime, check out these 10 cities with the absolute worst commute times anywhere in the United States.

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Average commute time: 31 mins

The first city in this top 10 of tough commutes, Mount Vernon, is one of three New York locations that all have their average commutes bumped up by lengthy public transit journeys.

Residents are looking at an average commute time of 31 minutes, but can cut that down by walking to work where possible. They might want to avoid the bus or train, however, which clocks in at an average of 49 minutes.

Average commute time: 31 mins

Residents of Newark, New Jersey, have a similar journey to those of Mount Vernon. Their longer commute times might be due to the fact that close to one million people commute from New Jersey to New York City for work every day.

In the car, the average journey takes 30 minutes. Switch to public transit options, and the average commute time jumps to 50 minutes. The train ride from Newark to Manhattan alone takes about 20 minutes, so workers in other boroughs likely bump up this average commute time.

Average commute time: 32 mins

Commuting times climb slightly if you move to Richmond, California. California appears most on this list, and Richmond highlights the drastic difference between walking times and public transit journey lengths.

Walking to work in Richmond takes just nine minutes on average, and allows workers to enjoy the scenery in a city known as a hidden gem. Those who need to commute by bus or train typically require nearly two hours of travel time to work and back.

Average commute time: 32 mins

South Gate is another city where walking is, by far, the quickest way to get to work if the option is available. No wonder the city enjoys regular events like its annual Art Walk.

For those who don't work close enough to home for walking, expect to spend an average of 33 minutes in the car or 51 minutes on public transit.

Average commute time: 33 mins

Heading back to New Jersey, Union City has longer walking times but slightly shorter public transit commute times compared to Newark. Commuters spend an average of 45 minutes on the bus or train, or 14 minutes walking. It's a great way to get the step count up, but it's impractical in New Jersey's freezing cold winters.

That's probably why so many Union City residents choose to drive, which takes an average of 33 minutes per commute.

Average commute time: 33 mins

Yonkers is just a 40-minute drive from Union City, but the public transit commute times here are much higher: on average, they last 56 minutes per journey. For those who hop on the subway or catch a bus, they need to factor in two hours of travel time per day.

Driving to work takes an average of 31 minutes and could be the faster choice for some commuters.

Average commute time: 35 mins

NYC locals are all too familiar with public transit journeys of, on average, 48 minutes. Even walking to work takes an average of 17 minutes, while driving takes an average of 36 minutes out of the start and end of the working day.

Commuters can save time by traveling outside peak hours or planning alternative routes to avoid crowds or traffic.

Average commute time: 36 mins

Brockton is the first city in this collection of commuting nightmares to have average public transit times over an hour. Expect journeys of around 75 minutes, each way, if walking, driving, or cycling to work isn't an option.

Known as Shoe City, the aptly named location has much more reasonable walking commute times, of just 13 minutes, on average.

Average commute time: 38 mins

For those who do anything other than walk to work in Tracy, they'll spend between 32 and 79 minutes on average commuting. Even driving to work takes, on average, 43 minutes.

This is partly due to the city's proximity to major interstate highways, causing daily traffic congestion and not-so-occasional road traffic incidents.

Average commute time: 38 mins

California is home to the city with the shortest commute times: Santa Barbara has an average commute time of just 13 minutes. Unfortunately, it's also the state with the longest trips to work, especially for those living in Pittsburg.

The average commute time in Pittsburg is 11 minutes higher than the national average of 27 minutes. While bus users can use this time to catch up on reading or scrolling, drivers will no doubt find this additional time frustrating.

The commuting study offers up plenty of other interesting facts. For example, did you know that driving to work is the most popular method of commuting? That's despite public transit or even walking being faster in some cities.

Take a look at what transport options are available in your city. You might find that switching to the bus, the subway, or even a carpooling scheme could be a great way to save some money every month. Or, if driving is the best option for you, check out ways to cut your auto insurance rate or supplement your income to help pay for gas and maintenance.