Tempe Commute Time Map & Patterns
HelpChat with AI about Tempe commute.
Commute from My AddressCommute Time Burden in Tempe: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Tempe spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 168 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
That is 10% less time on the road than the Arizona average of 22.5 minutes each way, a difference of 2.4 minutes.
Tempe holds about 2.7% of Arizona's population but accounts for roughly 2.4% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Tempe would save about 67 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,080 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempe | 20.1 min | 40.3 min | 168 hrs/yr | $5,199 | 4,697 |
| Arizona | 22.5 min | 45.0 min | 187 hrs/yr | $5,808 | 1,948 |
| United States | 22.5 min | 44.9 min | 187 hrs/yr | $5,803 | 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.
Tempe Commute Map
On average, it takes 20.1 minutes to get to work in Tempe. That's 10% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.
The most common departure window is 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM , followed by 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM .
Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 19.4% work from home.
Commute mode distribution
- Car: 68.6%
- Worked at Home: 19.4%
- Walked: 3.9%
- Public Transportation: 3.3%
- Bicycle: 2.4% unusually high
- Other: 1.4%
- Taxi: 0.5% unusually high
- Motorcycle: 0.4%
Taxi commuting is unusually common in Tempe: 3.0 times more than the Arizona average (0.5% vs 0.2%).
Bicycle commuting is unusually common in Tempe: 4.4 times more than the Arizona average (2.4% vs 0.5%).
How does Tempe's commute time compare?
| Metric | Tempe | Arizona | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 20.1 min | 22.5 min | 22.5 min |
| Departure Window | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM |
| Secondary Departure Window | 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM |
| Work From Home | 19.4% | 16.5% | 13.4% |
| Walked | 3.9% | 1.7% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 3.3% | 1.2% | 3.5% |
The average commute time in Tempe is 20.1 minutes, shorter than the 22.5 minutes in Arizona.
3.3% commute by public transit, higher than the 1.2% in Arizona. 3.9% commute by walking, higher than the 1.7% in Arizona.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in Tempe, Arizona.
How much does the average commute cost workers in Tempe, Arizona?
Commuters here spend an estimated 168 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,199 at a typical national wage. That's 10% less than the typical Arizona commuter spends.
When is rush hour worst in Tempe, Arizona?
Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Tempe, Arizona. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM also sees a secondary bump.