San Mateo Commute Time Map & Patterns
HelpCommuting in San Mateo, California: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
Commute Time Burden in San Mateo: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in San Mateo spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 193 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting. That is 1% less time on the road than the California average of 23.5 minutes each way, a difference of 0.3 minutes.
San Mateo holds about 0.3% of California's population and accounts for roughly 0.3% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in San Mateo would save about 77 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,396 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | 23.2 min | 46.4 min | 193 hrs/yr | $5,991 | 3,403 |
| California | 23.5 min | 47.0 min | 196 hrs/yr | $6,065 | 2,449 |
| 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.
San Mateo Commute Map
On average, it takes 23.2 minutes to get to work in San Mateo. That's 3% longer than the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
The most common departure window is 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM, followed by 09:00 AM – 09:59 AM. Driving is the most common commute choice, followed by working from home. About 24.7% work from home.
How People Get to Work in San Mateo
- Car: 64.7%
- Worked at Home: 24.7%
- Public Transportation: 4.9%
- Walked: 2.7%
- Other: 2.3%
- Bicycle: 0.5%
- Taxi: 0.2%
- Motorcycle: < 0.1% unusually low
Riding a motorcycle is unusually rare in San Mateo: 5.5 times less than the California average (0.0% vs 0.2%).
Commute Mode Trends in San Mateo, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in San Mateo 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.
Show commute mode data by year
| Year | Car | Worked at Home | Public Transportation | Walked | Other | Bicycle | Taxi | Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 81.9% | 4.1% | 8.8% | 3.2% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2010 | 82.8% | 4.0% | 7.8% | 3.3% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2011 | 81.9% | 4.4% | 7.6% | 3.6% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2012 | 80.9% | 4.2% | 8.0% | 3.8% | 0.8% | 1.8% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2013 | 82.1% | 4.2% | 7.6% | 3.5% | 0.7% | 1.7% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2014 | 81.7% | 4.3% | 7.8% | 3.2% | 0.8% | 1.8% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2015 | 80.0% | 4.6% | 9.2% | 3.1% | 1.0% | 1.8% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2016 | 79.9% | 4.7% | 10.1% | 2.8% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2017 | 79.6% | 5.2% | 10.3% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2018 | 78.1% | 5.4% | 10.9% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2019 | 76.6% | 5.6% | 11.6% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| 2020 | 74.5% | 9.9% | 10.0% | 2.5% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 70.3% | 15.4% | 8.3% | 2.7% | 1.9% | 1.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| 2022 | 66.1% | 19.8% | 7.7% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2023 | 65.3% | 22.3% | 6.2% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| 2024 | 64.7% | 24.7% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.0% |
Driving was the most common way to get to work in every release from 2009 to 2024. Its share peaked in 2010 at 82.8%. Overall it fell from 81.9% in 2009 to 64.7% in 2024, down 17.2 percentage points. It has fallen in each of the last 11 releases.
Working from home gained the most ground in San Mateo: its share of workers rose from 4.1% in 2009 to 24.7% in 2024, up 20.6 percentage points. Most of that increase, 19.1 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Public transit lost the most ground, falling from 8.8% to 4.9% of workers (down 3.9 percentage points).
Working from home overtook public transit to become the 2nd most common choice in the 2021 release and has stayed ahead since.
Biking peaked at 1.8% in 2012 and has since fallen back to 0.5%.
Commute Start Times in San Mateo
What Time Do People Leave for Work in San Mateo?
The bars show when commuters in San Mateo 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 California for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
| 12:00-4:59 AM |
12:00-4:59 AM
San Mateo2.8%
California6.7%
|
2.8% |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00-5:29 AM |
5:00-5:29 AM
San Mateo1.5%
California4.5%
|
1.5% |
| 5:30-5:59 AM |
5:30-5:59 AM
San Mateo2.6%
California4.5%
|
2.6% |
| 6:00-6:29 AM |
6:00-6:29 AM
San Mateo5.3%
California8.4%
|
5.3% |
| 6:30-6:59 AM |
6:30-6:59 AM
San Mateo6.3%
California7.5%
|
6.3% |
| 7:00-7:29 AM |
7:00-7:29 AM
San Mateo11.6%
California13.1%
|
11.6% |
| 7:30-7:59 AM |
7:30-7:59 AM
San Mateo12.9%
California10.2%
|
12.9% |
| 8:00-8:29 AM |
8:00-8:29 AM
San Mateo17.9%
California12.6%
|
17.9% |
| 8:30-8:59 AM |
8:30-8:59 AM
San Mateo10.3%
California5.8%
|
10.3% |
| 9:00-9:59 AM |
9:00-9:59 AM
San Mateo14.2%
California8.6%
|
14.2% |
| 10:00-10:59 AM |
10:00-10:59 AM
San Mateo4.0%
California3.9%
|
4.0% |
| 11:00-11:59 AM |
11:00-11:59 AM
San Mateo2.4%
California1.8%
|
2.4% |
| 12:00-3:59 PM |
12:00-3:59 PM
San Mateo4.2%
California6.9%
|
4.2% |
| 4:00-11:59 PM |
4:00-11:59 PM
San Mateo4.2%
California5.5%
|
4.2% |
San Mateo California Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in San Mateo is 8:00-8:29 AM, when 17.9% of commuters leave home, compared with 12.6% across California. Early starts are less common than in California: 6.9% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 15.8% there. The morning rush is more concentrated than in California: 48.6% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 43.3% there. About 1 in 3 commuters (28.9%) 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 San Mateo, 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 San Mateo 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 San Mateo next to California 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.
Show typical departure times by year
| Year | San Mateo | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 7:59 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2010 | 7:59 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2011 | 8:00 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2012 | 8:01 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2013 | 8:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2014 | 8:02 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2015 | 8:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2016 | 8:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2017 | 8:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2018 | 8:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2019 | 8:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2020 | 8:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2021 | 8:11 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2022 | 8:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2023 | 8:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2024 | 8:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:38 AM |
In 2024, half of commuters in San Mateo were on the road by 8:12 AM, 13 minutes later than in 2009 (7:59 AM). The shift is sharper than across California, where the typical start moved 6 minutes later. Commuters in San Mateo now leave 34 minutes later than the typical American commuter (7:38 AM). Since the 2019 release, which covers the years just before the pandemic, the typical start in San Mateo has moved 6 minutes later. The 2024 release is the latest typical start for San Mateo in the whole series.
How does San Mateo's commute time compare?
| Metric | San Mateo | California | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 23.2 min | 23.5 min | 22.4 min |
| Departure Window | 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM |
| Secondary Departure Window | 09:00 AM – 09:59 AM | 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM |
| Work From Home | 24.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Walked | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 4.9% | 2.9% | 3.2% |
The average commute time in San Mateo is about the same as in California.
4.9% commute by public transit, higher than the 2.9% in California. 2.7% commute by walking, higher than the 2.4% in California.
San Mateo, CA Commute Compared With Nearby Cities
How San Mateo, CA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | One-way commute | Work from home | Typical departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo, CA | 101,951 | 23.2 min #1/3 | 24.7% #3/3 | 8:12 AM #2/3 |
| Belmont, CA | 24,586 | 25.4 min | 33.5% | 8:14 AM |
| Burlingame, CA | 29,545 | 28.7 min | 27.5% | 8:07 AM |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in San Mateo, California.
Is living in San Mateo, California good for avoiding long commute costs?
Commuters here spend an estimated 193 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,991 at a typical national wage. That's 1% less than the typical California commuter spends.
When is peak congestion during the morning commute in San Mateo, California?
Traffic peaks between 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM in San Mateo, California. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 09:00 AM – 09:59 AM also sees a secondary bump.
How much time do residents in San Mateo, California save by working from home?
About 24.7% of workers here already work from home. Working from home just 2 days a week in San Mateo would save about 77 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,396 at the same national wage assumption used above.