Commuting in Polk County, Arkansas: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
You9/24/26, 6:59 PM
How many minutes is the average drive to work in Polk County?
Map AI9/24/26, 6:59 PM
Commute Time Burden in Polk County: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Polk County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 132 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting. That is 15% less time on the road than the Arkansas average of 18.6 minutes each way, a difference of 2.8 minutes.
Polk County holds about 0.6% of Arkansas's population but accounts for roughly 0.5% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Polk County would save about 53 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $1,638 at the same national wage assumption used above.
Area
One-Way Commute
Daily Round-Trip
Yearly Time Spent
Estimated Yearly Cost
Local Road Traffic (VPD)
Polk County
15.9 min
31.7 min
132 hrs/yr
$4,095
162
Arkansas
18.6 min
37.2 min
155 hrs/yr
$4,807
912
United States
22.4 min
44.8 min
187 hrs/yr
$5,790
1,355
The estimated yearly cost applies a single national rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area - treat it
as a rough estimate, not a paycheck figure. Local road traffic counts, vehicles per day
on non-highway roads, come from proprietary
Ticon and
TrafficZoom data.
On average, it takes
15.9
minutes to get to work in
Polk County.
That's 29% shorter than the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
Faster than 88% of counties in Arkansas
The most common departure window is 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM, followed by 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM. Driving is the most common commute choice, followed by working from home. About 4.8% work from home.
How People Get to Work in Polk County
Car:
91.3%
Worked at Home:
4.8%
Walked:
2.0%
Other:
1.1%
Bicycle:
0.7%unusually high
Motorcycle:
< 0.1%
Public Transportation:
< 0.1%unusually low
Taxi:
< 0.1%unusually low
Public transit is unusually rare in Polk County: 5.1 times less than the Arkansas average (0.1% vs 0.3%).
Taking a taxi is essentially absent in Polk County, versus 0.1% in Arkansas.
Biking is unusually common in Polk County: 4.4 times more than the Arkansas average (0.7% vs 0.2%).
Commute Mode Trends in Polk County, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in Polk County get to work, as a share of all workers aged 16 and over, across 16 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) releases from 2009 to 2024. Each release is a 5-year estimate: the 2024 figures cover surveys taken from 2020 to 2024. Because neighboring releases share most of their survey years, the lines move gradually, and a sudden change such as the rise of remote work in 2020 spreads across several releases. Hover over or tap a line to highlight it, and use the legend to show or hide a mode. Driving starts hidden so the smaller modes stay readable.
Share of workers aged 16 and over, by ACS 5-year release year. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.Show commute mode data by year
Year
Car
Worked at Home
Walked
Other
Bicycle
Public Transportation
Motorcycle
Taxi
2009
91.8%
3.3%
2.7%
1.5%
0.2%
0.4%
0.1%
0.0%
2010
93.5%
2.6%
1.8%
1.6%
0.2%
0.0%
0.3%
0.0%
2011
94.1%
2.9%
1.8%
0.8%
0.2%
0.0%
0.3%
0.0%
2012
93.3%
4.1%
1.6%
0.5%
0.0%
0.1%
0.5%
0.0%
2013
93.6%
3.8%
1.3%
0.5%
0.0%
0.4%
0.3%
0.0%
2014
93.4%
3.8%
1.5%
0.5%
0.2%
0.3%
0.3%
0.0%
2015
93.3%
4.2%
1.7%
0.2%
0.2%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
2016
93.7%
4.0%
0.9%
0.6%
0.2%
0.5%
0.0%
0.0%
2017
95.0%
2.5%
1.0%
0.6%
0.2%
0.6%
0.0%
0.0%
2018
94.4%
3.1%
1.0%
1.1%
0.2%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
2019
94.1%
3.2%
1.1%
1.3%
0.0%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
2020
93.4%
4.2%
1.0%
1.0%
0.0%
0.4%
0.0%
0.0%
2021
93.9%
3.8%
1.4%
0.7%
0.0%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
2022
92.4%
4.7%
1.7%
0.9%
0.2%
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
2023
91.5%
5.2%
1.8%
1.1%
0.4%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2024
91.3%
4.8%
2.0%
1.1%
0.7%
0.1%
0.1%
0.0%
Driving was the most common way to get to work in every release from 2009 to 2024. Its share peaked in 2017 at 95.0%. Overall it fell from 91.8% in 2009 to 91.3% in 2024, down 0.5 percentage points. It has fallen in each of the last 3 releases.
Working from home gained the most ground in Polk County: its share of workers rose from 3.3% in 2009 to 4.8% in 2024, up 1.5 percentage points. Most of that increase, 1.6 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Walking lost the most ground, falling from 2.7% to 2.0% of workers (down 0.7 percentage points).
Biking overtook public transit to become the 5th most common choice in the 2022 release and has stayed ahead since.
Commute Start Times in Polk County
What Time Do People Leave for Work in Polk County?
The bars show when commuters in Polk County leave home for work, as a share of everyone who commutes (people who work from home are not counted), from the 2024 ACS 5-year estimates. The thin violet marks show Arkansas for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
12:00-4:59 AM
12:00-4:59 AMPolk County6.5%Arkansas5.6%
6.5%
5:00-5:29 AM
5:00-5:29 AMPolk County4.7%Arkansas4.1%
4.7%
5:30-5:59 AM
5:30-5:59 AMPolk County5.1%Arkansas5.2%
5.1%
6:00-6:29 AM
6:00-6:29 AMPolk County9.4%Arkansas9.3%
9.4%
6:30-6:59 AM
6:30-6:59 AMPolk County12.1%Arkansas11.2%
12.1%
7:00-7:29 AM
7:00-7:29 AMPolk County21.4%Arkansas17.5%
21.4%
7:30-7:59 AM
7:30-7:59 AMPolk County15.2%Arkansas13.9%
15.2%
8:00-8:29 AM
8:00-8:29 AMPolk County4.4%Arkansas9.2%
4.4%
8:30-8:59 AM
8:30-8:59 AMPolk County2.0%Arkansas3.6%
2.0%
9:00-9:59 AM
9:00-9:59 AMPolk County3.4%Arkansas4.5%
3.4%
10:00-10:59 AM
10:00-10:59 AMPolk County2.4%Arkansas2.2%
2.4%
11:00-11:59 AM
11:00-11:59 AMPolk County1.2%Arkansas1.1%
1.2%
12:00-3:59 PM
12:00-3:59 PMPolk County4.9%Arkansas6.2%
4.9%
4:00-11:59 PM
4:00-11:59 PMPolk County7.2%Arkansas6.4%
7.2%
Polk CountyArkansasSource: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in Polk County is 7:00-7:29 AM, when 21.4% of commuters leave home, compared with 17.5% across Arkansas. Early starts are more common than in Arkansas: 16.4% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 14.8% there. The morning rush looks much like Arkansas's: 53.1% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 51.9% there. About 1 in 5 commuters (19.1%) leave at 9 AM or later, which usually points to shift work, flexible hours or part-time jobs.
When people leave matters as much as how far they go. Rush-hour traffic shrinks how much ground a 20-minute trip covers, so a trade area drawn as a simple circle often takes in neighborhoods that customers or staff would never drive from and misses others that are an easy trip. A drive-time zone, also called an isochrone, outlines every place within a set number of minutes of an address, which makes it the more honest way to size a store's catchment, a hiring area or the commute from a new home.
See it for yourself on the interactive map: click any spot in Polk County, pick a 5, 10, 15 or 30-minute drive and see the local demographics of the people who live within that exact drive time.
Is Polk County Waking Up Earlier? Typical Departure Time, 2009-2024
Each line follows the typical (median) departure time: the moment by which half of commuters have already left home. Higher on the chart means a later start. Setting Polk County next to Arkansas and the U.S. shows whether local mornings are drifting earlier or later than everyone else's. The figures span 16 ACS 5-year releases, so changes build up gradually rather than jumping from one year to the next.
Median time commuters leave home, by ACS 5-year release year. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.Show typical departure times by year
Year
Polk County
Arkansas
United States
2009
7:32 AM
7:28 AM
7:37 AM
2010
7:31 AM
7:28 AM
7:38 AM
2011
7:35 AM
7:28 AM
7:38 AM
2012
7:37 AM
7:27 AM
7:38 AM
2013
7:32 AM
7:27 AM
7:39 AM
2014
7:34 AM
7:27 AM
7:39 AM
2015
7:34 AM
7:27 AM
7:38 AM
2016
7:31 AM
7:26 AM
7:38 AM
2017
7:30 AM
7:26 AM
7:38 AM
2018
7:28 AM
7:26 AM
7:37 AM
2019
7:21 AM
7:26 AM
7:37 AM
2020
7:18 AM
7:26 AM
7:37 AM
2021
7:17 AM
7:26 AM
7:37 AM
2022
7:14 AM
7:26 AM
7:37 AM
2023
7:20 AM
7:26 AM
7:38 AM
2024
7:17 AM
7:25 AM
7:38 AM
In 2024, half of commuters in Polk County were on the road by 7:17 AM, 15 minutes earlier than in 2009 (7:32 AM). The shift is sharper than across Arkansas, where the typical start moved 3 minutes earlier. Commuters in Polk County now leave 21 minutes earlier than the typical American commuter (7:38 AM). Since the 2019 release, which covers the years just before the pandemic, the typical start in Polk County has moved 4 minutes earlier.
How does Polk County's commute time compare?
Metric
Polk County
Arkansas
US Average
Avg. Commute Time
15.9 min
18.6 min
22.4 min
Departure Window
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
Secondary Departure Window
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home
4.8%
8.8%
15.0%
Walked
2.0%
1.4%
2.4%
Public Transit
< 0.1%
0.3%
3.2%
The average commute time in Polk County is 15.9 minutes, shorter than the 18.6 minutes in Arkansas.
0.1% commute by public transit, lower than the 0.3% in Arkansas. 2.0% commute by walking, higher than the 1.4% in Arkansas.
Polk County, AR Commute Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, AR is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,361 residents against a local median of 12,583. The measure that sets Polk County, AR apart most is one-way commute: 15.9 min, 15% below the local median of 18.8 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 13.0 min on one-way commute, so Polk County, AR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, AR has the 2nd lowest one-way commute of the 6 areas compared here.
Common questions about commuting in Polk County, Arkansas.
Is living in Polk County, Arkansas good for avoiding long commute costs?
Commuters here spend an estimated 132 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $4,095 at a typical national wage. That's 15% less than the typical Arkansas commuter spends.
When is peak congestion during the morning commute in Polk County, Arkansas?
Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Polk County, Arkansas. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM also sees a secondary bump.
Do people use public transit in Polk County, Arkansas?
Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.1% of commuters use it versus 0.3% in Arkansas, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.
Where are the quickest and slowest commutes among counties in Arkansas?
Among counties in Arkansas, the shortest average commutes are in Arkansas County (11.9 min), Phillips County (13.2 min), Howard County (13.4 min). The longest are in Perry County (32.2 min), Newton County (31.6 min), Madison County (31.1 min).