Oak Park Commute Time Map & Patterns
HelpCommuting in Oak Park, Michigan: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
Commute Time Burden in Oak Park: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Oak Park spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 187 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting. That is 5% more time on the road than the Michigan average of 21.3 minutes each way, a difference of 1.1 minutes.
Oak Park holds about 0.3% of Michigan's population and accounts for roughly 0.3% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Oak Park would save about 75 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,318 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Park | 22.4 min | 44.9 min | 187 hrs/yr | $5,796 | 4,101 |
| Michigan | 21.3 min | 42.6 min | 178 hrs/yr | $5,509 | 1,585 |
| 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.
Oak Park Commute Map
On average, it takes 22.4 minutes to get to work in Oak Park. That's about the same as the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
The most common departure window is 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM, followed by 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM. Driving is the most common commute choice, followed by working from home. About 23.1% work from home.
How People Get to Work in Oak Park
- Car: 73.3%
- Worked at Home: 23.1%
- Walked: 1.4%
- Other: 1.2%
- Taxi: 0.6% unusually high
- Public Transportation: 0.3%
- Motorcycle: < 0.1% unusually low
- Bicycle: < 0.1% unusually low
Riding a motorcycle is essentially absent in Oak Park, versus 0.1% in Michigan.
Taking a taxi is unusually common in Oak Park: 4.1 times more than the Michigan average (0.6% vs 0.1%).
Biking is essentially absent in Oak Park, versus 0.3% in Michigan.
Commute Mode Trends in Oak Park, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in Oak Park 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 | Walked | Other | Taxi | Public Transportation | Motorcycle | Bicycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 92.4% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 1.9% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| 2010 | 92.6% | 1.8% | 2.5% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 1.6% | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| 2011 | 91.8% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 2.3% | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| 2012 | 91.6% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 2.5% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| 2013 | 91.7% | 2.9% | 2.2% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 2.5% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2014 | 90.6% | 3.5% | 2.0% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 2.9% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2015 | 90.2% | 4.0% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.1% | 2.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 89.9% | 4.5% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 2.8% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2017 | 91.3% | 3.8% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 0.5% | 2.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2018 | 90.2% | 4.5% | 1.2% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 2.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2019 | 89.3% | 6.2% | 1.3% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2020 | 86.2% | 10.1% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 81.2% | 15.6% | 1.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 2022 | 77.8% | 19.8% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 76.4% | 21.0% | 1.0% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 73.3% | 23.1% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 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 2010 at 92.6%. Overall it fell from 92.4% in 2009 to 73.3% in 2024, down 19.1 percentage points. It has fallen in each of the last 7 releases.
Working from home gained the most ground in Oak Park: its share of workers rose from 2.3% in 2009 to 23.1% in 2024, up 20.8 percentage points. Most of that increase, 16.9 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Public transit lost the most ground, falling from 1.9% to 0.3% of workers (down 1.6 percentage points).
Taking a taxi overtook biking to become the 5th most common choice in the 2015 release and has stayed ahead since.
Commute Start Times in Oak Park
What Time Do People Leave for Work in Oak Park?
The bars show when commuters in Oak Park 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 Michigan for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
| 12:00-4:59 AM |
12:00-4:59 AM
Oak Park1.5%
Michigan5.3%
|
1.5% |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00-5:29 AM |
5:00-5:29 AM
Oak Park3.6%
Michigan3.9%
|
3.6% |
| 5:30-5:59 AM |
5:30-5:59 AM
Oak Park2.3%
Michigan5.1%
|
2.3% |
| 6:00-6:29 AM |
6:00-6:29 AM
Oak Park6.7%
Michigan8.0%
|
6.7% |
| 6:30-6:59 AM |
6:30-6:59 AM
Oak Park4.9%
Michigan9.0%
|
4.9% |
| 7:00-7:29 AM |
7:00-7:29 AM
Oak Park13.2%
Michigan13.0%
|
13.2% |
| 7:30-7:59 AM |
7:30-7:59 AM
Oak Park11.4%
Michigan12.1%
|
11.4% |
| 8:00-8:29 AM |
8:00-8:29 AM
Oak Park16.4%
Michigan10.9%
|
16.4% |
| 8:30-8:59 AM |
8:30-8:59 AM
Oak Park7.5%
Michigan5.6%
|
7.5% |
| 9:00-9:59 AM |
9:00-9:59 AM
Oak Park11.5%
Michigan6.7%
|
11.5% |
| 10:00-10:59 AM |
10:00-10:59 AM
Oak Park6.5%
Michigan3.2%
|
6.5% |
| 11:00-11:59 AM |
11:00-11:59 AM
Oak Park2.5%
Michigan1.6%
|
2.5% |
| 12:00-3:59 PM |
12:00-3:59 PM
Oak Park6.0%
Michigan8.5%
|
6.0% |
| 4:00-11:59 PM |
4:00-11:59 PM
Oak Park5.8%
Michigan7.1%
|
5.8% |
Oak Park Michigan Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in Oak Park is 8:00-8:29 AM, when 16.4% of commuters leave home, compared with 10.9% across Michigan. Early starts are less common than in Michigan: 7.5% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 14.3% there. The morning rush looks much like Michigan's: 45.9% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 45.0% there. About 1 in 3 commuters (32.3%) 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 Oak Park, 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 Oak Park 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 Oak Park next to Michigan 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 | Oak Park | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 8:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2010 | 8:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2011 | 8:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2012 | 8:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2013 | 8:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2014 | 8:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2015 | 8:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2016 | 8:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2017 | 8:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2018 | 8:15 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2019 | 8:18 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2020 | 8:18 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2021 | 8:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2022 | 8:15 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2023 | 8:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2024 | 8:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:38 AM |
In 2024, half of commuters in Oak Park were on the road by 8:12 AM, almost exactly the same as in 2009. Across Michigan, the typical start barely moved either. Commuters in Oak Park 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 Oak Park has moved 7 minutes earlier.
How does Oak Park's commute time compare?
| Metric | Oak Park | Michigan | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 22.4 min | 21.3 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 | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM |
| Work From Home | 23.1% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Walked | 1.4% | 2.0% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 0.3% | 0.9% | 3.2% |
The average commute time in Oak Park is 22.4 minutes, longer than the 21.3 minutes in Michigan.
0.3% commute by public transit, lower than the 0.9% in Michigan. 1.4% commute by walking, lower than the 2.0% in Michigan.
Oak Park, MI Commute Compared With Nearby Cities
How Oak Park, MI compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | One-way commute | Work from home | Typical departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Park, MI | 29,311 | 22.4 min #2/2 | 23.1% #2/2 | 8:11 AM #2/2 |
| Royal Oak, MI | 57,530 | 22.0 min | 27.4% | 8:07 AM |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in Oak Park, Michigan.
Is commuting expensive in Oak Park, Michigan?
Commuters here spend an estimated 187 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,796 at a typical national wage. That's 5% more than the typical Michigan commuter spends.
What time should you leave for work to avoid traffic in Oak Park, Michigan?
Traffic peaks between 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM in Oak Park, Michigan. 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.
How much time do residents in Oak Park, Michigan save by working from home?
About 23.1% of workers here already work from home. Working from home just 2 days a week in Oak Park would save about 75 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,318 at the same national wage assumption used above.