Sacramento Commute Time Map & Patterns
HelpChat with AI about Sacramento commute.
Commute from My AddressCommute Time Burden in Sacramento: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Sacramento spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 183 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 1.6 minutes.
Sacramento holds about 1.3% of California's population but accounts for roughly 1.2% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Sacramento would save about 73 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,270 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento | 22.0 min | 43.9 min | 183 hrs/yr | $5,676 | 3,902 |
| 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.
Sacramento Commute Map
On average, it takes 22.0 minutes to get to work in Sacramento. That's 2% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.
The most common departure window is 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM , followed by 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM .
Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 17.5% work from home.
Commute mode distribution
- Car: 74.7%
- Worked at Home: 17.5%
- Walked: 2.8%
- Public Transportation: 1.9%
- Bicycle: 1.4%
- Other: 1.2%
- Motorcycle: 0.3%
- Taxi: 0.2%
How does Sacramento's commute time compare?
| Metric | Sacramento | California | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 22.0 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 | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM | 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM |
| Work From Home | 17.5% | 15.5% | 13.4% |
| Walked | 2.8% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 1.9% | 3.2% | 3.5% |
The average commute time in Sacramento is 22.0 minutes, shorter than the 23.6 minutes in California.
1.9% commute by public transit, lower than the 3.2% in California. 2.8% commute by walking, higher than the 2.4% in California.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in Sacramento, California.
Is commuting expensive in Sacramento, California?
Commuters here spend an estimated 183 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,676 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 Sacramento, California?
Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Sacramento, California. 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.