St. Clair County Commute Time Map & Patterns
HelpCommuting in St. Clair County, Illinois: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
Commute Time Burden in St. Clair County: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in St. Clair County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 179 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting. That is 9% less time on the road than the Illinois average of 23.6 minutes each way, a difference of 2.2 minutes.
St. Clair County holds about 2.0% of Illinois's population but accounts for roughly 1.8% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in St. Clair County would save about 71 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,213 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County | 21.4 min | 42.8 min | 179 hrs/yr | $5,534 | 1,794 |
| 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.
Commute Time Map: Illinois Counties
- Edgar County (12.0 min)
- Brown County (12.7 min)
- Morgan County (13.1 min)
- Calhoun County (43.8 min)
- Pulaski County (31.2 min)
- Pope County (31.0 min)
Compare commute times among different counties
On average, it takes 21.4 minutes to get to work in St. Clair County. That's 4% shorter 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 12.4% work from home.
How People Get to Work in St. Clair County
- Car: 83.5%
- Worked at Home: 12.4%
- Public Transportation: 1.6% unusually low
- Walked: 1.5%
- Other: 0.9%
- Bicycle: 0.1% unusually low
- Taxi: < 0.1% unusually low
- Motorcycle: < 0.1% unusually low
Riding a motorcycle is unusually rare in St. Clair County: 3.8 times less than the Illinois average (0.0% vs 0.1%).
Public transit is unusually rare in St. Clair County: 3.7 times less than the Illinois average (1.6% vs 5.8%).
Taking a taxi is unusually rare in St. Clair County: 10.5 times less than the Illinois average (0.0% vs 0.3%).
Biking is unusually rare in St. Clair County: 4.2 times less than the Illinois average (0.1% vs 0.5%).
Commute Mode Trends in St. Clair County, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in St. Clair 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.
Show commute mode data by year
| Year | Car | Worked at Home | Public Transportation | Walked | Other | Bicycle | Taxi | Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 90.2% | 2.8% | 4.2% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2010 | 90.0% | 2.9% | 4.4% | 1.4% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2011 | 90.0% | 3.0% | 4.1% | 1.8% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2012 | 90.2% | 2.9% | 3.8% | 1.8% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2013 | 89.9% | 3.0% | 3.9% | 2.0% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2014 | 89.4% | 3.2% | 4.3% | 1.9% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2015 | 89.5% | 3.2% | 4.3% | 1.7% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2016 | 89.4% | 3.2% | 4.2% | 1.7% | 1.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2017 | 89.3% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 1.7% | 0.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2018 | 89.8% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 1.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 90.5% | 3.5% | 3.1% | 1.6% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2020 | 90.1% | 4.7% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 88.5% | 7.0% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2022 | 86.4% | 9.2% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2023 | 84.6% | 10.9% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2024 | 83.5% | 12.4% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Driving was the most common way to get to work in every release from 2009 to 2024. Its share peaked in 2019 at 90.5%. Overall it fell from 90.2% in 2009 to 83.5% in 2024, down 6.7 percentage points. It has fallen in each of the last 5 releases.
Working from home gained the most ground in St. Clair County: its share of workers rose from 2.8% in 2009 to 12.4% in 2024, up 9.6 percentage points. Most of that increase, 8.9 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Public transit lost the most ground, falling from 4.2% to 1.6% of workers (down 2.6 percentage points).
Working from home overtook public transit to become the 2nd most common choice in the 2019 release and has stayed ahead since.
Commute Start Times in St. Clair County
What Time Do People Leave for Work in St. Clair County?
The bars show when commuters in St. Clair 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 Illinois for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
| 12:00-4:59 AM |
12:00-4:59 AM
St. Clair County6.0%
Illinois5.6%
|
6.0% |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00-5:29 AM |
5:00-5:29 AM
St. Clair County3.6%
Illinois4.3%
|
3.6% |
| 5:30-5:59 AM |
5:30-5:59 AM
St. Clair County5.1%
Illinois4.9%
|
5.1% |
| 6:00-6:29 AM |
6:00-6:29 AM
St. Clair County10.2%
Illinois9.0%
|
10.2% |
| 6:30-6:59 AM |
6:30-6:59 AM
St. Clair County10.9%
Illinois9.4%
|
10.9% |
| 7:00-7:29 AM |
7:00-7:29 AM
St. Clair County14.9%
Illinois14.3%
|
14.9% |
| 7:30-7:59 AM |
7:30-7:59 AM
St. Clair County13.7%
Illinois11.6%
|
13.7% |
| 8:00-8:29 AM |
8:00-8:29 AM
St. Clair County10.3%
Illinois11.2%
|
10.3% |
| 8:30-8:59 AM |
8:30-8:59 AM
St. Clair County4.2%
Illinois5.2%
|
4.2% |
| 9:00-9:59 AM |
9:00-9:59 AM
St. Clair County4.4%
Illinois6.1%
|
4.4% |
| 10:00-10:59 AM |
10:00-10:59 AM
St. Clair County2.1%
Illinois2.9%
|
2.1% |
| 11:00-11:59 AM |
11:00-11:59 AM
St. Clair County1.3%
Illinois1.5%
|
1.3% |
| 12:00-3:59 PM |
12:00-3:59 PM
St. Clair County6.8%
Illinois7.7%
|
6.8% |
| 4:00-11:59 PM |
4:00-11:59 PM
St. Clair County6.6%
Illinois6.3%
|
6.6% |
St. Clair County Illinois Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in St. Clair County is 7:00-7:29 AM, when 14.9% of commuters leave home, compared with 14.3% across Illinois. Early starts are about as common as in Illinois: 14.7% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 14.8% there. The morning rush is more concentrated than in Illinois: 49.8% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 46.5% there. About 1 in 5 commuters (21.1%) 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 St. Clair 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 St. Clair 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 St. Clair County 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 | St. Clair County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 7:29 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2010 | 7:28 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2011 | 7:28 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2012 | 7:28 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2013 | 7:27 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2014 | 7:25 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2015 | 7:26 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2016 | 7:25 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2017 | 7:26 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2018 | 7:25 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2019 | 7:28 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2020 | 7:27 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2021 | 7:28 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2022 | 7:27 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2023 | 7:28 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2024 | 7:28 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
In 2024, half of commuters in St. Clair County were on the road by 7:28 AM, almost exactly the same as in 2009. Across Illinois, meanwhile, the typical commuter now leaves 1 minute later than in 2009. Commuters in St. Clair County now leave 9 minutes earlier than the typical American commuter (7:38 AM).
How does St. Clair County's commute time compare?
| Metric | St. Clair County | Illinois | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 21.4 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 | 12.4% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Walked | 1.5% | 2.8% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 1.6% | 5.8% | 3.2% |
The average commute time in St. Clair County is 21.4 minutes, shorter than the 23.6 minutes in Illinois.
1.6% commute by public transit, lower than the 5.8% in Illinois. 1.5% commute by walking, lower than the 2.8% in Illinois.
St. Clair County, IL Commute Compared With Nearby Counties
St. Clair County, IL is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 253,661 residents against a local median of 35,993. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes St. Clair County, IL an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is one-way commute, 4% below the local median at 21.4 min against 22.2 min. St. Clair County, IL has the 2nd lowest one-way commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | One-way commute | Work from home | Typical departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County, IL | 253,661 | 21.4 min #2/5 | 12.4% #4/5 | 7:28 AM #5/5 |
| Monroe County, IL | 35,033 | 28.2 min | 12.6% | 7:15 AM |
| Madison County, IL | 264,024 | 22.7 min | 12.7% | 7:24 AM |
| Randolph County, IL | 30,051 | 18.3 min | 5.3% | 7:13 AM |
| Clinton County, IL | 36,954 | 21.8 min | 12.6% | 7:15 AM |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in St. Clair County, Illinois.
How much does the average commute cost workers in St. Clair County, Illinois?
Commuters here spend an estimated 179 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,534 at a typical national wage. That's 9% less than the typical Illinois commuter spends.
When is rush hour worst in St. Clair County, Illinois?
Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in St. Clair County, 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.
Do people use public transit in St. Clair County, Illinois?
Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 1.6% of commuters use it versus 5.8% in Illinois, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.
Where are the quickest and slowest commutes among counties in Illinois?
Among counties in Illinois, the shortest average commutes are in Edgar County (12.0 min), Brown County (12.7 min), Morgan County (13.1 min). The longest are in Calhoun County (43.8 min), Pulaski County (31.2 min), Pope County (31.0 min).