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In a country where the typical employee spends more than a quarter of their day working, maximizing free time —Ìýand minimizing commute time — matters.

Shortest commute time:ÌýOn average, commuters spend about 25 minutes getting to/from work. But some cities, notablyÌýColumbus,ÌýMemphis, andÌýMilwaukeeÌýhave some of the fastest commutes, at around 22 minutes. Over the course of a year, this difference adds up to 13 hours.

Fastest commutes:ÌýBut not all minutes are created equal. Ten minutes spent cruising on a highway is less painful than ten minutes spent bumper-to-bumper. According to Lyft's data, commuters inÌýFort Worth,Ìý²Ñ±ð³¾±è³ó¾±²õ, andÌýDetroitÌýaverage over 27 mph, 4 mph faster than the average.

Least-congested commutes:ÌýThe most notorious commutes aren't just slow —Ìýthey are much slower than non-commute travel along the same route. As Eric Bourassa, director of transportation at Boston's Metropolitan Area Planning Council () puts it: "On a Saturday night, it might take you 20 minutes to get home, but on a Friday afternoon, it might take you six times as long. People feel that." Only two cities do not experience slower travel during commuting hours, according to Lyft data:ÌýColumbusÌý(1.3% faster) andÌýLas VegasÌý(6.3% faster). Overall, cities experience 8% slower travel, on average.

Milwaukee commuting time stats
- Commuting time score: 90.8
--- 8th of the 35 cities ranked
- Average commute time: 21.7 minutes
- Average traffic speed: 22.5 mph

Cities with the quickest commutes
#1. Columbus, OH: 100.0 quickest commute score
#2. Las Vegas, NV: 99.9
#3. Memphis, TN: 99.8
#4. Fresno, CA: 97.6
#5. El Paso, TX: 95.1
#6. Detroit, MI: 95.0
#7. San Diego, CA: 93.8
#8. Milwaukee, WI: 90.8
#9. Tucson, AZ: 89.7
#10. Jacksonville, FL: 89.3

Commutes don't just cost time, they cost money: Tolls and parking can be significant expenses for the 68.7% of Americans who commute to work alone in a vehicle each day. And for theÌýÌýshare of Americans who take public transit to work, fares can add up as well. According to theÌý, administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, individual households in the U.S. spent $12,295 on transportation —Ìýabout 17% of all household expenditures (second only to housing).

Cheapest parking:ÌýAccording toÌý, New York City is the priciest place to park in the country — costing at least $350 a month. But inÌýÌýcities likeÌýMemphis,ÌýColumbus, andÌýHouston, the expense is often under $40 a month.

Lowest fuel costs:ÌýMultiplying regionalÌýÌýwith the average length (in miles) of a commute in that region, we estimate that the average monthly cost of gas for commuting isÌýAlbuquerque'sÌý$34;ÌýMilwaukeeÌýcomes in on the low end ($25 and under), and San Jose and San Diego are among the most expensive, at $50.

Cheapest public transit:ÌýOn average, commuting via public transit costs around $70 a month. Once again, New York City is at the high end ($132), and smaller cities likeÌýMemphisÌý($25) andÌýAlbuquerqueÌý($28) are at the low end (this data was collected before AlbuquerqueÌýÌýentirely in late 2023). It's worth noting, however, that the cost of public transit often correlates with the quality of the service (e.g., it takes nearlyÌýÌýby public transit in Memphis than in New York).

Milwaukee commuting cost stats
- Commuting cost score: 40.3
--- 23rd of the 35 cities ranked
- Monthly parking cost: $140
- Monthly fuel cost: $29.30
- Monthly public transit cost: $72

Cities with the cheapest commutes
#1. Memphis, TN: 100.0 commute cost score
#2. Columbus, OH: 95.8
#3. Albuquerque, NM: 94.0
#4. Houston, TX: 93.9
#5. Dallas, TX: 88.8
#6. Baltimore, MD: 88.5
#7. El Paso, TX: 87.3
#8. Tucson, AZ: 80.6
#9. Las Vegas, NV: 80.4
#10. Phoenix, AZ: 76.5

In the U.S., transportation is theÌýÌýto greenhouse gas emissions. And commutes are a big part of that: An average 15-mile commute in a private vehicle can lead to, roughly, anÌýÌýtwo to six tons of C02 emissions each year. Overall, people who live in (and take advantage of) cities that offer alternatives to driving a personal vehicle —Ìýbiking, walking, public transit, etc. —Ìýhave dramatically lower carbon footprints.

Most bike-friendly:ÌýSan Francisco leads in the share of commuters who bike to work (overÌý), likely due to its favorable weather conditions and strong biking culture andÌý. Plus, Lyft-operated Bay Wheels isÌýÌýfor nearly 200,000 trips a month.

Most carpoolers:ÌýOn average, roughlyÌýÌýcarpool to work, but this percentage isÌýÌýin Southwest cities, likeÌýEl Paso,ÌýSan Antonio, andÌýLas Vegas. Why? In Texas, it may be due to the large number ofÌýÌýthat incentivize driving with another passenger to avoid tolls.

Most walkers:ÌýOn average, onlyÌýÌýof Americans walk to work. But given thatÌýÌýtend to have the highest share of walking commuters, it's no surprise thatÌýBostonÌý— home to 44 institutions of higher learning —Ìýoverperforms. A full 13% of commuters there walk to work.

Most-used public transit:ÌýMost New Yorkers agree: The best way to get around the city is the subway, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While an average ofÌýÌýof commuters nationwide take public transit,ÌýNew YorkÌýclocks in at a whopping 43%.

Fewest drivers:ÌýOverall, aboutÌýÌýof Americans drive a private fuel-based vehicle to work. But in some cities — like, again,ÌýNew York,ÌýBoston, andÌýSan FranciscoÌý—Ìýthe plurality of commuters choose not to drive. According to Bourassa, this makes sense: It's easier to avoid car use "in cities that were established before the automobile." Driving EVs (which peopleÌýÌýin the California cities of San Jose, San Francisco, and San Diego) can substantially reduce the impact of driving, so we removed EV miles traveled from our calculations.

Milwaukee commuting environmental stats
- Commuting environmental score: 29.1
--- 12th of the 35 cities ranked
- Bikers: 0.7% of commuters
- Carpoolers: 9.1% of commuters
- Walkers: 3.8% of commuters
- Public transportation: 4.2% of commuters
- Drivers: 74.6% of commuters

Cities with the most environmentally friendly commutes
#1. New York City, NY: 100.0 commute environmental score
#2. Boston, MA: 97.5
#3. San Francisco, CA: 92.2
#4. Washington, D.C.: 84.1
#5. Seattle, WA: 61.6
#6. Philadelphia, PA: 61.3
#7. Chicago, IL: 52.8
#8. Portland, OR: 38.8
#9. Denver, CO: 32.9
#10. Los Angeles, CA: 31.1

Thinking beyond the literalÌýjourney, what might make a commute better? In this last section, we look at the cities with the most vibrant downtowns — as indicated by the presence of bars and shops — that draw people to work and, just maybe, convince them to stay a while.

Busiest downtowns:ÌýCOVID took a toll on almost all city downtowns, and many have notÌý, leading to vacant storefronts and empty streets that are less enticing to the daily commuter. But according to Lyft data, in cities likeÌýColumbusÌýandÌýBaltimore, the recovery in downtown activity now exceeds 2019 levels.

Most bustling happy hours:ÌýLet's be honest — what really makes going to the office worth it? The likelihood of getting a drink and gossiping with your friends or coworkers afterward. And inÌýWashington, D.C.,ÌýNew York,ÌýandÌýSan Francisco, you are pretty darn likely —Ìý40% more than average, according to Lyft data — to go to a bar or restaurant after work.

Busiest shoppers:ÌýBeyond happy hour, the possibility of doing some shopping after work can make a commuter's trip downtown worth it. Lyft data suggests that the retail-rich cities ofÌýSan FranciscoÌýandÌýNew YorkÌýare most likely to entice commuters.

Green space:ÌýTaking a walk in a park before or after work can also add to a downtown's attractiveness, so we included how much land in a city is devoted toÌýÌýas a metric.

Vacancy rates:ÌýEmpty offices suggest a less lively downtown, so we gave a city'sÌýÌýa negative value when adding all the results together to calculate each city's vibrancy scores.

Milwaukee downtown vibrancy stats
- Downtown vibrancy score: 24.9
--- 18th of the 35 cities ranked
- Downtown activity: 1.0X fewer ride shares compared to pre-Covid
- Green space: 9% of city area
- Office vacancy rates: 20%

Cities with the most vibrant downtowns
#1. New York City, NY: 100.0 downwtown vibrancy score
#2. Washington, D.C.: 78.2
#3. Boston, MA: 60.0
#4. El Paso, TX: 57.1
#5. Baltimore, MD: 52.0
#6. Las Vegas, NV: 50.7
#7. San Francisco, CA: 48.9
#8. San Diego, CA: 48.8
#9. Columbus, OH: 46.9
#10. Chicago, IL: 42.3

Considering all four measures, Milwaukee is the 17th best city for commuting.

Cities with the best commutes
#1. Columbus, OH: 84.5 overall commute score
#2. El Paso, TX: 82.4
#3. Las Vegas, NV: 80.3
#4. Memphis, TN: 67.2
#5. Albuquerque, NM: 66.5
#6. Baltimore, MD: 59.9
#7. Phoenix, AZ: 58.5
#8. Tucson, AZ: 55.0
#9. Detroit, MI: 52.2
#10. Dallas, TX: 49.1

Methodology

• TheÌýcommuter surveyÌýwas conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll from Aug. 22 through Aug. 26, 2024. A representative sample of 1,404 respondents aged 18+ completed the survey. All respondents had to regularly commute to work (via personal driving, carpool, public transportation, rideshare, etc.) to qualify.
• Average commute time (minutes)Ìýis calculated using the 2022 American Census Survey, as the average time it takes for a working person to commute in minutes.Ìý
• Traffic (mph)Ìýis calculated using Lyft data, as the average speed for rides to/from office and work destinations during commuting hours (6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.), from August 2023 to August 2024.Ìý
• Congestion during commuting hours (% change)Ìýis calculated using Lyft data, as the percent change in average speed for rides to/from office and work destinations during commuting hours, relative to average speed for non-commuting rides, from August 2023 to August 2024.Ìý
• Speed scoreÌýis a sum of (negative) average commute time, traffic (mph), and congestion during commuting hours (percent change), after each measure has been standardized to have a standard deviation of 1 and a mean of 0.Ìý
• Monthly parking cost ($)Ìýis estimated usingÌýÌý(followingÌý), where we took the lowest monthly parking price for each city, starting in August 2024.Ìý
• Monthly fuel cost ($)Ìýis estimated usingÌýÌýdata as of Aug. 4, 2024. For cities without city-level data, we used theÌýÌýfuel cost. FollowingÌýstrategy, we multiplied that number by the average miles for a commute to an office or work destination (Lyft data) and divided byÌýÌýfor the average 2024 vehicle.
• Monthly public transit cost ($)Ìýis the cost of a monthly pass for public transit (streetcar, bus, light and heavy rail, etc.) in each city. Source: American Public Transportation Association () 2022, by way ofÌý.Ìý
• Cost scoreÌýis the average cost of driving and using public transit for each city, weighted by the share of commuters who commute that way, and then standardized to have a standard deviation of 1 and a mean of 0.Ìý
• Bike to workÌýis calculated using the Census Bureau'sÌýÌýas the share of commuting residents who bike to work.Ìý
• Carpool to workÌýis calculated using theÌýÌýas the share of commuting residents who carpool to work.Ìý
• Walk to workÌýis calculated using theÌýÌýas the share of commuting residents who walk to work.Ìý
• Public transit to workÌýis calculated using theÌýÌýas the share of commuting residents who take public transit (bus, light rail, train) to work.
• Drive a fuel car to workÌýis the share of commuters who drive to work, calculated using theÌý, multiplied by the share of miles driven in non-electric vehicles (data fromÌý, weighted by population to get to city-level data).
• Environmental scoreÌýis the sum of the percentages of people who bike, carpool, walk, take public transit, and drive a fuel car (negative) to work, after each measure has been standardized to have a standard deviation of 1 and a mean of 0.
• Downtown reboundÌýis calculated using Lyft data, as the ratio of average monthly rides to a city's downtown (January 2024 to August 2024) relative to the average monthly rides to the downtown in 2019.ÌýÌý
• Likelihood of happy hourÌýis calculated using Lyft data from August 2023 to August 2024, as the rate of going to a restaurant or happy hour after the office, relative to the average rate.
• Likelihood of shopping afterÌýis calculated using Lyft data from August 2023 to August 2024, as the rate of going to a mall, pharmacy, or shop after the office, relative to the average rate.Ìý
• Office vacancy rateÌýis pulled from the Q4 2023ÌýÌýmarket report. Supplemented by individual city reports.Ìý
• Green spaceÌýis calculated using theÌý's data on the share of city land devoted to parks.
• Vibrancy scoreÌýis a sum of downtown rebound, likelihood of happy hour, likelihood of shopping after, office vacancy rate (negative), and green space, after each measure has been standardized to have a standard deviation of 1 and a mean of 0.Ìý
• Commute scoreÌýis the average across speed score, cost score, environmental score, and vibrancy score.