Illinois Commute Time Map & Patterns
HelpChat with AI about Illinois commute.
Commute from My AddressCommute Time Burden in Illinois: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Illinois spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 198 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
That is 6% more time on the road than the US average of 22.5 minutes each way, a difference of 1.3 minutes.
Illinois holds about 3.7% of US's population but accounts for roughly 4.0% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Illinois would save about 79 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,459 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 23.8 min | 47.6 min | 198 hrs/yr | $6,148 | 1,547 |
| US | 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: Illinois Counties
- Edgar County (12.1 min)
- Brown County (12.8 min)
- McDonough County (13.0 min)
- Calhoun County (46.4 min)
- Cook County (30.8 min)
- Kendall County (30.7 min)
Compare commute times among different counties
On average, it takes 23.8 minutes to get to work in Illinois. That's 6% longer than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.
Slower than 88% of states in US
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 14.0% work from home.
Commute mode distribution
- Car: 75.0%
- Worked at Home: 14.0%
- Public Transportation: 6.4%
- Walked: 2.7%
- Other: 0.9%
- Bicycle: 0.5%
- Taxi: 0.3%
- Motorcycle: < 0.1%
How does Illinois's commute time compare?
| Metric | Illinois | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 23.8 min | 22.5 min |
| Work From Home | 14.0% | 13.4% |
| Walked | 2.7% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 6.4% | 3.5% |
The average commute time in Illinois is 23.8 minutes, longer than the 22.5 minutes in US.
6.4% commute by public transit, higher than the 3.5% in US. 2.7% commute by walking, higher than the 2.4% in US.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in Illinois.
How much does the average commute cost workers in Illinois?
Commuters here spend an estimated 198 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $6,148 at a typical national wage. That's 6% more than the typical US commuter spends.
When is rush hour worst in Illinois?
Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in 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.
Which counties in Illinois have the fastest and slowest commutes?
Among counties in Illinois, the shortest average commutes are in Edgar County (12.1 min), Brown County (12.8 min), McDonough County (13.0 min). The longest are in Calhoun County (46.4 min), Cook County (30.8 min), Kendall County (30.7 min).