Suffolk County · Massachusetts
Boston, MA commute times
How 370,029 workers get to work and how long it takes, on Census 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates.
Quick answer
The average one-way commute in Boston is 33.1 minutes, against 28.5 minutes nationally. 34.1% of workers drive alone, 24% take public transit and 18.8% work from home.
- Average commute
- 33.1 minUS 28.5 min
- Drove alone
- 34.1%US 70.2%
- Public transit
- 24%US 3.5%
- Commutes 60 min or more
- 22.2%US 16.8%
How Boston gets to work
Share of workers 16 and over by means of transportation to work, 2019-2023 ACS 5-year.
| Mode | Boston | United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 34.1% | 70.2% | |
| Carpooled | 5.4% | 8.5% | |
| Public transit | 24% | 3.5% | |
| — bus | 8.6% | 1.7% | |
| — subway or elevated | 13.6% | 1.3% | |
| — commuter rail | 1.2% | 0.4% | |
| Bicycle | 2.1% | 0.4% | |
| Walked | 13.8% | 2.4% | |
| Worked from home | 18.8% | 13.5% |
How long the trip takes
Share of workers whose one-way trip falls in each band. Excludes people who work from home.
| Travel time | Share of workers | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 min | 1.9% | |
| 5-9 min | 5% | |
| 10-14 min | 8.1% | |
| 15-19 min | 13.2% | |
| 20-24 min | 13.5% | |
| 25-29 min | 7.2% | |
| 30-34 min | 19.1% | |
| 35-39 min | 3.9% | |
| 40-44 min | 5.8% | |
| 45-59 min | 11.4% | |
| 60-89 min | 8.6% | |
| 90+ min | 2.3% |
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year (B08301, B08303) · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year
How to read Boston commute data
What the Census counts, and what it leaves out.
The Census asks workers 16 and over how they usually travelled to work last week and how long that trip took door to door, including waiting and transfers. Someone who drives four days and takes the train on the fifth is counted once, under the mode used most. Work-from-home counts as a commute mode, so shares add to 100 with it included and the travel-time bands cover only people who left the house. Figures describe residents of Boston wherever they work, not everyone who works inside the city.
Keep going
Other Boston data on this site.