Commuting in Valley County, Idaho: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
You9/24/26, 2:49 PM
How many minutes is the average drive to work in Valley County?
Map AI9/24/26, 2:49 PM
Commute Time Burden in Valley County: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Valley County spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 125 hours, about 5.2 full days, spent commuting. That is 16% less time on the road than the Idaho average of 18.0 minutes each way, a difference of 2.9 minutes.
Valley County holds about 0.6% of Idaho's population but accounts for roughly 0.5% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Valley County would save about 50 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $1,552 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)
Valley County
15.0 min
30.0 min
125 hrs/yr
$3,881
210
Idaho
18.0 min
35.9 min
150 hrs/yr
$4,641
865
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.
On average, it takes
15.0
minutes to get to work in
Valley County.
That's 33% shorter than the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
Faster than 70% of counties in Idaho
The most common departure window is 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM, followed by 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM. Driving is the most common commute choice, followed by working from home. About 16.9% work from home.
How People Get to Work in Valley County
Car:
70.3%
Worked at Home:
16.9%
Walked:
8.9%unusually high
Bicycle:
3.3%unusually high
Other:
0.5%
Public Transportation:
< 0.1%unusually low
Motorcycle:
< 0.1%unusually low
Taxi:
< 0.1%unusually low
Riding a motorcycle is essentially absent in Valley County, versus 0.2% in Idaho.
Walking is unusually common in Valley County: 3.4 times more than the Idaho average (8.9% vs 2.6%).
Public transit is unusually rare in Valley County: 13.2 times less than the Idaho average (0.0% vs 0.5%).
Taking a taxi is essentially absent in Valley County, versus 0.1% in Idaho.
Biking is unusually common in Valley County: 4.5 times more than the Idaho average (3.3% vs 0.7%).
Valley County stands out for active commuting: 12.2% of workers walk or bike to work, 3.6 times the Idaho average of 3.4%.
Commute Mode Trends in Valley County, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in Valley County 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.
Share of workers aged 16 and over, by ACS 5-year release year. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.Show commute mode data by year
Year
Car
Worked at Home
Walked
Bicycle
Other
Public Transportation
Taxi
Motorcycle
2009
80.2%
10.2%
5.7%
1.1%
0.7%
1.7%
0.0%
0.5%
2010
78.1%
11.0%
6.8%
1.5%
1.0%
1.1%
0.0%
0.5%
2011
76.7%
10.2%
8.7%
1.9%
1.4%
0.7%
0.0%
0.3%
2012
81.2%
5.1%
9.1%
1.5%
2.1%
0.4%
0.0%
0.6%
2013
83.7%
6.1%
8.2%
0.8%
0.5%
0.3%
0.0%
0.3%
2014
81.9%
6.7%
9.5%
0.8%
0.6%
0.3%
0.0%
0.1%
2015
80.3%
7.4%
10.4%
0.0%
0.8%
1.0%
0.0%
0.1%
2016
82.1%
6.6%
9.4%
0.1%
0.8%
0.8%
0.0%
0.1%
2017
84.5%
7.0%
7.0%
0.1%
0.7%
0.7%
0.0%
0.0%
2018
87.7%
5.7%
3.6%
1.6%
0.7%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
2019
84.3%
10.0%
3.7%
0.2%
0.8%
1.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2020
80.9%
15.5%
2.4%
0.2%
0.7%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
2021
79.7%
15.8%
1.5%
1.7%
0.7%
0.5%
0.0%
0.0%
2022
71.2%
18.0%
8.2%
1.5%
0.8%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
2023
66.3%
23.5%
7.6%
1.4%
0.8%
0.5%
0.0%
0.0%
2024
70.3%
16.9%
8.9%
3.3%
0.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Driving was the most common way to get to work in every release from 2009 to 2024. Its share was highest in 2018 at 87.7% and lowest in 2023 at 66.3%. Overall it fell from 80.2% in 2009 to 70.3% in 2024, down 9.9 percentage points. It has risen in the latest release.
Working from home gained the most ground in Valley County: its share of workers rose from 10.2% in 2009 to 16.9% in 2024, up 6.7 percentage points. Most of that increase, 6.9 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Public transit lost the most ground, falling from 1.7% to 0.0% of workers (down 1.7 percentage points).
Biking overtook public transit to become the 4th most common choice in the 2021 release and has stayed ahead since.
Working from home peaked at 23.5% in 2023 and has since fallen back to 16.9%.
Commute Start Times in Valley County
🚦Rush-Hour RegularsThe highest share of rush-hour departures among Idaho's 44 counties: 70.0% of commuters leave between 6:30 and 8:29 AM.
What Time Do People Leave for Work in Valley County?
The bars show when commuters in Valley County 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 Idaho for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
12:00-4:59 AM
12:00-4:59 AMValley County3.2%Idaho5.2%
3.2%
5:00-5:29 AM
5:00-5:29 AMValley County2.1%Idaho3.5%
2.1%
5:30-5:59 AM
5:30-5:59 AMValley County0.6%Idaho5.1%
0.6%
6:00-6:29 AM
6:00-6:29 AMValley County1.4%Idaho7.9%
1.4%
6:30-6:59 AM
6:30-6:59 AMValley County9.5%Idaho10.3%
9.5%
7:00-7:29 AM
7:00-7:29 AMValley County19.3%Idaho14.2%
19.3%
7:30-7:59 AM
7:30-7:59 AMValley County25.0%Idaho14.5%
25.0%
8:00-8:29 AM
8:00-8:29 AMValley County16.4%Idaho10.6%
16.4%
8:30-8:59 AM
8:30-8:59 AMValley County3.3%Idaho5.4%
3.3%
9:00-9:59 AM
9:00-9:59 AMValley County3.8%Idaho6.3%
3.8%
10:00-10:59 AM
10:00-10:59 AMValley County6.1%Idaho3.3%
6.1%
11:00-11:59 AM
11:00-11:59 AMValley County0.7%Idaho1.6%
0.7%
12:00-3:59 PM
12:00-3:59 PMValley County3.1%Idaho6.3%
3.1%
4:00-11:59 PM
4:00-11:59 PMValley County5.7%Idaho5.9%
5.7%
Valley CountyIdahoSource: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in Valley County is 7:30-7:59 AM, when 25.0% of commuters leave home, compared with 14.5% across Idaho. Early starts are less common than in Idaho: 5.9% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 13.7% there. The morning rush is more concentrated than in Idaho: 70.0% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 49.6% there. About 1 in 5 commuters (19.4%) 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 Valley County, 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 Valley County 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 Valley County next to Idaho 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.
Median time commuters leave home, by ACS 5-year release year. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.Show typical departure times by year
Year
Valley County
Idaho
United States
2009
7:48 AM
7:40 AM
7:37 AM
2010
7:48 AM
7:40 AM
7:38 AM
2011
7:46 AM
7:40 AM
7:38 AM
2012
7:45 AM
7:40 AM
7:38 AM
2013
7:56 AM
7:40 AM
7:39 AM
2014
7:54 AM
7:41 AM
7:39 AM
2015
8:03 AM
7:40 AM
7:38 AM
2016
8:05 AM
7:41 AM
7:38 AM
2017
8:09 AM
7:40 AM
7:38 AM
2018
8:11 AM
7:41 AM
7:37 AM
2019
8:01 AM
7:40 AM
7:37 AM
2020
7:56 AM
7:40 AM
7:37 AM
2021
7:52 AM
7:39 AM
7:37 AM
2022
7:54 AM
7:39 AM
7:37 AM
2023
7:50 AM
7:39 AM
7:38 AM
2024
7:47 AM
7:38 AM
7:38 AM
In 2024, half of commuters in Valley County were on the road by 7:47 AM, 1 minute earlier than in 2009 (7:48 AM). Idaho followed the same path, with the typical start moving 2 minutes earlier. Commuters in Valley County now leave 9 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 Valley County has moved 14 minutes earlier.
How does Valley County's commute time compare?
Metric
Valley County
Idaho
US Average
Avg. Commute Time
15.0 min
18.0 min
22.4 min
Departure Window
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
Secondary Departure Window
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home
16.9%
13.3%
15.0%
Walked
8.9%
2.6%
2.4%
Public Transit
< 0.1%
0.5%
3.2%
The average commute time in Valley County is 15.0 minutes, shorter than the 18.0 minutes in Idaho.
0.0% commute by public transit, lower than the 0.5% in Idaho. 8.9% commute by walking, higher than the 2.6% in Idaho.
Valley County, ID Commute Compared With Nearby Counties
Valley County, ID is typical in size for this group, 12,386 residents against a local median of 11,141, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Valley County, ID apart most is work from home: 16.9%, 47% above the local median of 11.5%.
The counties themselves spread 12.0% on work from home, so Valley County, ID sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Valley County, ID has the 2nd highest work from home of the 6 areas compared here.
Common questions about commuting in Valley County, Idaho.
Is living in Valley County, Idaho good for avoiding long commute costs?
Commuters here spend an estimated 125 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $3,881 at a typical national wage. That's 16% less than the typical Idaho commuter spends.
When is peak congestion during the morning commute in Valley County, Idaho?
Traffic peaks between 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM in Valley County, Idaho. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM also sees a secondary bump.
Do people use public transit in Valley County, Idaho?
Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.0% of commuters use it versus 0.5% in Idaho, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.
Where are the quickest and slowest commutes among counties in Idaho?
Among counties in Idaho, the shortest average commutes are in Custer County (8.9 min), Lemhi County (11.6 min), Madison County (12.0 min). The longest are in Camas County (49.5 min), Boise County (38.0 min), Lincoln County (32.0 min).