Cities with the worst commute in Washington
When the COVID-19 pandemic made millions of Americans remote workers, it also abruptly ended many of the commutes that bookend the workday. As some of those workers return to the office, conversations around the drawbacks of commutes have become more intense. For a while, those workers enjoyed more time in the morning and evening that wasn't spent simply traveling to and from work鈥攁n unpaid portion of the day that ate up time and energy. And it's not a small amount of time, either: Pre-pandemic, in the U.S. was a hair over 27 minutes one way, according to Census Bureau data. It was a record high. Cumulatively, 27 minutes each way translates to 54 minutes a day, or four-and-a-half hours per week. That's 18 hours a month and 216 hours a year spent commuting.
Those who commute know it's not particularly idyllic. While a very small portion of workers live in the ideal scenario鈥攁 short, walkable distance from the office, along a sidewalk that is presumably regularly shoveled in the winter and where the temperature doesn't result in a sweaty arrival in the summer鈥攎ost endure clogged roads, unpredictable public transit, and the frustrations that come with both. Of course, not all commutes are as bad as others, and some cities have better public transit and traffic flow.
compiled a list of the cities with the worst commutes in Washington using data from the . Cities with at least 5,000 working adults are ranked by the longest average commute time as of the 2021 5-year estimate.
