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Which state has the longest commute time?

Answer: New York.

Rows of cars on a freeway stopped in traffic.
Many companies wanted their employees back in the office more often than not in the last few years. Per a July 2024 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 35 percent of the U.S. workforce did some or all of their work from home in 2023. On the other hand, 73 percent did some or all of their work from the workplace. And all those in-office workers had to commute to get there, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, what state you live in can have a big impact on how long that commute takes.

It probably comes as no surprise that residents of New York have the longest average commute in the U.S., clocking in at 32.8 minutes. Nearly half of those commuters drive in their own cars, while only 6.3 percent carpooled. But New York has more commuters who ride public transit than any other state at 22 percent. Maryland commuters have the second-longest travel time at 31.5 minutes, and only 4.9 percent of them use public transit.

New Jersey has the third-highest commute time at 30.9 minutes, and 8.5 percent of its commuters use public transit. In fourth place is Massachusetts with 29.3 minutes and 7 percent on public transit, and in fifth is California at 29 minutes and only 3.2 percent on public transit. The Golden State, however, had the highest number of carpoolers at 9.5 percent.