Chico Commute Time Map & Patterns

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You 8/20/26, 3:58 PM
How much time do drivers in Chico spend on the road daily?
Map AI 8/20/26, 3:58 PM

Commute Time Burden in Chico: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Chico spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 109 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.

That is 45% less time on the road than the California average of 23.6 minutes each way, a difference of 10.6 minutes.

Chico holds about 0.2% of California's population but accounts for roughly 0.1% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Chico would save about 43 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $1,347 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)
Chico 13.0 min 26.1 min 109 hrs/yr $3,366 3,322
California 23.6 min 47.2 min 197 hrs/yr $6,099 2,449
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.

Chico Commute Map

On average, it takes 13.0 minutes to get to work in Chico. That's 42% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

The most common departure window is 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM , followed by 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM .

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 12.5% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 79.0%
  • Worked at Home: 12.5%
  • Walked: 3.6%
  • Bicycle: 2.2% unusually high
  • Other: 1.3%
  • Public Transportation: 0.9% unusually low
  • Motorcycle: 0.3%
  • Taxi: 0.1%

Public Transportation commuting is unusually low in Chico: 3.7 times less than the California average (0.9% vs 3.2%).

Bicycle commuting is unusually common in Chico: 3.1 times more than the California average (2.2% vs 0.7%).

How does Chico's commute time compare?

Metric Chico California US Average
Avg. Commute Time 13.0 min 23.6 min 22.5 min
Departure Window 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
Secondary Departure Window 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home 12.5% 15.5% 13.4%
Walked 3.6% 2.4% 2.4%
Public Transit 0.9% 3.2% 3.5%

The average commute time in Chico is 13.0 minutes, shorter than the 23.6 minutes in California.

0.9% commute by public transit, lower than the 3.2% in California. 3.6% commute by walking, higher than the 2.4% in California.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Chico, California.

What is the financial impact of commuting in Chico, California?

Commuters here spend an estimated 109 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $3,366 at a typical national wage. That's 45% less than the typical California commuter spends.

What are the busiest morning travel hours in Chico, California?

Traffic peaks between 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM in Chico, California. 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.

Is public transportation a realistic commute option in Chico, California?

Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.9% of commuters use it versus 3.2% in California, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.