Monterey County Commute Time Map & Patterns

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Compare commute patterns and ask AI Map about Monterey County.

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You 8/20/26, 12:42 PM
Is the commute in Monterey County longer than the national average?
Map AI 8/20/26, 12:42 PM

Commute Time Burden in Monterey County: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Monterey County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 182 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.

That is 7% less time on the road than the California average of 23.6 minutes each way, a difference of 1.7 minutes.

Monterey County holds about 1.1% of California's population but accounts for roughly 1.0% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Monterey County would save about 73 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,262 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)
Monterey County 21.9 min 43.8 min 182 hrs/yr $5,655 1,669
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.

Commute Time Map: California Counties

Fastest commutes among counties in California
  1. Inyo County (11.2 min)
  2. Del Norte County (11.7 min)
  3. Modoc County (11.8 min)
Slowest commutes among counties in California
  1. Contra Costa County (31.2 min)
  2. San Benito County (31.0 min)
  3. Alpine County (30.4 min)

Compare commute times among different counties

On average, it takes 21.9 minutes to get to work in Monterey County. That's 3% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

The most common departure window is 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM , followed by 06:00 AM – 06:29 AM .

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 9.1% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 80.1%
  • Worked at Home: 9.1%
  • Other: 5.8%
  • Walked: 2.9%
  • Public Transportation: 1.3%
  • Bicycle: 0.5%
  • Motorcycle: 0.2%
  • Taxi: < 0.1%

How does Monterey County's commute time compare?

Metric Monterey County California US Average
Avg. Commute Time 21.9 min 23.6 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 06:00 AM – 06:29 AM 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home 9.1% 15.5% 13.4%
Walked 2.9% 2.4% 2.4%
Public Transit 1.3% 3.2% 3.5%

The average commute time in Monterey County is 21.9 minutes, shorter than the 23.6 minutes in California.

1.3% commute by public transit, lower than the 3.2% in California. 2.9% commute by walking, higher than the 2.4% in California.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Monterey County, California.

Is commuting expensive in Monterey County, California?

Commuters here spend an estimated 182 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,655 at a typical national wage. That's 7% less than the typical California commuter spends.

What time should you leave for work to avoid traffic in Monterey County, California?

Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Monterey County, California. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 06:00 AM – 06:29 AM also sees a secondary bump.

Which counties in California have the fastest and slowest commutes?

Among counties in California, the shortest average commutes are in Inyo County (11.2 min), Del Norte County (11.7 min), Modoc County (11.8 min). The longest are in Contra Costa County (31.2 min), San Benito County (31.0 min), Alpine County (30.4 min).