Arlington Heights Commute Time Map & Patterns
HelpCommuting in Arlington Heights, Illinois: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
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Commute Time Burden in Arlington Heights: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Arlington Heights spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 199 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting. That is 1% more time on the road than the Illinois average of 23.6 minutes each way, a difference of 0.3 minutes.
Arlington Heights holds about 0.6% of Illinois's population and accounts for roughly 0.6% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Arlington Heights would save about 80 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,469 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington Heights | 23.9 min | 47.8 min | 199 hrs/yr | $6,172 | 3,063 |
| Illinois | 23.6 min | 47.3 min | 197 hrs/yr | $6,104 | 1,547 |
| 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.
Arlington Heights Commute Map
On average, it takes 23.9 minutes to get to work in Arlington Heights. That's 7% longer than the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
The most common departure window is 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM, followed by 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM. Driving is the most common commute choice, followed by working from home. About 24.5% work from home.
How People Get to Work in Arlington Heights
- Car: 69.2%
- Worked at Home: 24.5%
- Public Transportation: 4.0%
- Walked: 1.1%
- Other: 0.7%
- Bicycle: 0.4%
- Taxi: 0.2%
- Motorcycle: < 0.1%
Commute Mode Trends in Arlington Heights, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in Arlington Heights 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 | 87.1% | 3.7% | 6.0% | 2.0% | 0.9% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2010 | 86.7% | 4.0% | 6.3% | 1.9% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 87.5% | 4.3% | 5.6% | 1.6% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 86.8% | 4.5% | 5.6% | 1.9% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2013 | 86.1% | 5.0% | 5.9% | 2.0% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2014 | 85.6% | 5.2% | 6.5% | 1.8% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 85.4% | 5.1% | 6.6% | 1.7% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2016 | 85.3% | 4.9% | 6.9% | 1.9% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 84.9% | 5.5% | 7.0% | 1.5% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 85.3% | 5.3% | 6.9% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2019 | 84.5% | 5.5% | 7.3% | 1.6% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2020 | 81.1% | 10.5% | 6.1% | 1.5% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 77.0% | 15.0% | 5.4% | 1.4% | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 74.4% | 18.3% | 4.9% | 1.4% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 70.9% | 21.9% | 4.8% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 69.2% | 24.5% | 4.0% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 0.4% | 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 2011 at 87.5%. Overall it fell from 87.1% in 2009 to 69.2% in 2024, down 17.9 percentage points. It has fallen in each of the last 6 releases.
Working from home gained the most ground in Arlington Heights: its share of workers rose from 3.7% in 2009 to 24.5% in 2024, up 20.8 percentage points. Most of that increase, 19.0 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Public transit lost the most ground, falling from 6.0% to 4.0% of workers (down 2.0 percentage points).
Working from home overtook public transit to become the 2nd most common choice in the 2020 release and has stayed ahead since.
Commute Start Times in Arlington Heights
What Time Do People Leave for Work in Arlington Heights?
The bars show when commuters in Arlington Heights 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 Illinois for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
| 12:00-4:59 AM |
12:00-4:59 AM
Arlington Heights3.9%
Illinois5.6%
|
3.9% |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00-5:29 AM |
5:00-5:29 AM
Arlington Heights2.8%
Illinois4.3%
|
2.8% |
| 5:30-5:59 AM |
5:30-5:59 AM
Arlington Heights3.3%
Illinois4.9%
|
3.3% |
| 6:00-6:29 AM |
6:00-6:29 AM
Arlington Heights6.6%
Illinois9.0%
|
6.6% |
| 6:30-6:59 AM |
6:30-6:59 AM
Arlington Heights11.0%
Illinois9.4%
|
11.0% |
| 7:00-7:29 AM |
7:00-7:29 AM
Arlington Heights18.0%
Illinois14.3%
|
18.0% |
| 7:30-7:59 AM |
7:30-7:59 AM
Arlington Heights14.8%
Illinois11.6%
|
14.8% |
| 8:00-8:29 AM |
8:00-8:29 AM
Arlington Heights14.4%
Illinois11.2%
|
14.4% |
| 8:30-8:59 AM |
8:30-8:59 AM
Arlington Heights6.7%
Illinois5.2%
|
6.7% |
| 9:00-9:59 AM |
9:00-9:59 AM
Arlington Heights6.8%
Illinois6.1%
|
6.8% |
| 10:00-10:59 AM |
10:00-10:59 AM
Arlington Heights2.7%
Illinois2.9%
|
2.7% |
| 11:00-11:59 AM |
11:00-11:59 AM
Arlington Heights0.8%
Illinois1.5%
|
0.8% |
| 12:00-3:59 PM |
12:00-3:59 PM
Arlington Heights4.8%
Illinois7.7%
|
4.8% |
| 4:00-11:59 PM |
4:00-11:59 PM
Arlington Heights3.3%
Illinois6.3%
|
3.3% |
Arlington Heights Illinois Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in Arlington Heights is 7:00-7:29 AM, when 18.0% of commuters leave home, compared with 14.3% across Illinois. Early starts are less common than in Illinois: 10.0% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 14.8% there. The morning rush is more concentrated than in Illinois: 58.2% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 46.5% there. About 1 in 5 commuters (18.4%) 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 Arlington Heights, 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 Arlington Heights 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 Arlington Heights next to Illinois 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 | Arlington Heights | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 7:40 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2010 | 7:39 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2011 | 7:38 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2012 | 7:37 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2013 | 7:37 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2014 | 7:37 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2015 | 7:38 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2016 | 7:36 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2017 | 7:37 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2018 | 7:38 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2019 | 7:36 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2020 | 7:36 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2021 | 7:36 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2022 | 7:39 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2023 | 7:37 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2024 | 7:39 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
In 2024, half of commuters in Arlington Heights were on the road by 7:39 AM, 1 minute earlier than in 2009 (7:40 AM). That goes against the trend across Illinois, where the typical commuter now leaves 1 minute later than in 2009. Commuters in Arlington Heights now leave at about the same time as the typical American commuter (7:38 AM). Since the 2019 release, which covers the years just before the pandemic, the typical start in Arlington Heights has moved 3 minutes later.
How does Arlington Heights's commute time compare?
| Metric | Arlington Heights | Illinois | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 23.9 min | 23.6 min | 22.4 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 | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM |
| Work From Home | 24.5% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Walked | 1.1% | 2.8% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 4.0% | 5.8% | 3.2% |
The average commute time in Arlington Heights is about the same as in Illinois.
4.0% commute by public transit, lower than the 5.8% in Illinois. 1.1% commute by walking, lower than the 2.8% in Illinois.
Arlington Heights, IL Commute Compared With Nearby Cities
Arlington Heights, IL is the largest of the 5 cities compared here, 77,229 residents against a local median of 45,195. Where Arlington Heights, IL breaks from the cities next to it is work from home, sitting 38% above the local median of 17.8% at 24.5%.
The cities themselves spread 7.4% on work from home, so Arlington Heights, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Arlington Heights, IL has the highest work from home of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | One-way commute | Work from home | Typical departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington Heights, IL | 77,229 | 23.9 min #4/5 | 24.5% #1/5 | 7:39 AM #2/5 |
| Rolling Meadows, IL | 24,014 | 22.5 min | 16.8% | 7:42 AM |
| Mount Prospect, IL | 54,782 | 22.8 min | 18.8% | 7:41 AM |
| Palatine, IL | 58,624 | 25.6 min | 21.3% | 7:35 AM |
| Wheeling, IL | 35,608 | 22.4 min | 13.9% | 7:44 AM |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
How much does the average commute cost workers in Arlington Heights, Illinois?
Commuters here spend an estimated 199 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $6,172 at a typical national wage. That's 1% more than the typical Illinois commuter spends.
When is rush hour worst in Arlington Heights, Illinois?
Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Arlington Heights, Illinois. 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.
How much time do residents in Arlington Heights, Illinois save by working from home?
About 24.5% of workers here already work from home. Working from home just 2 days a week in Arlington Heights would save about 80 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,469 at the same national wage assumption used above.