Durham County Commute Time Map & Patterns

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Compare commute patterns and ask AI Map about Durham County.

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You 8/20/26, 11:22 AM
Is the commute in Durham County longer than the national average?
Map AI 8/20/26, 11:22 AM

Commute Time Burden in Durham County: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Durham County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 173 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.

That is 5% less time on the road than the North Carolina average of 21.8 minutes each way, a difference of 1.1 minutes.

Durham County holds about 3.1% of North Carolina's population but accounts for roughly 3.0% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Durham County would save about 69 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,141 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)
Durham County 20.7 min 41.4 min 173 hrs/yr $5,354 2,725
North Carolina 21.8 min 43.6 min 182 hrs/yr $5,630 1,609
United States 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: North Carolina Counties

Fastest commutes among counties in North Carolina
  1. Macon County (17.1 min)
  2. Dare County (17.2 min)
  3. Graham County (17.2 min)
Slowest commutes among counties in North Carolina
  1. Gates County (36.3 min)
  2. Currituck County (33.6 min)
  3. Franklin County (32.4 min)

Compare commute times among different counties

On average, it takes 20.7 minutes to get to work in Durham County. That's 8% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

The most common departure window is 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM , followed by 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM .

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 20.2% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 73.9%
  • Worked at Home: 20.2%
  • Walked: 2.1%
  • Public Transportation: 2.0%
  • Other: 0.9%
  • Bicycle: 0.4%
  • Taxi: 0.3%
  • Motorcycle: 0.2%

How does Durham County's commute time compare?

Metric Durham County North Carolina US Average
Avg. Commute Time 20.7 min 21.8 min 22.5 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 20.2% 14.5% 13.4%
Walked 2.1% 1.6% 2.4%
Public Transit 2.0% 0.7% 3.5%

The average commute time in Durham County is 20.7 minutes, shorter than the 21.8 minutes in North Carolina.

2.0% commute by public transit, higher than the 0.7% in North Carolina. 2.1% commute by walking, higher than the 1.6% in North Carolina.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Durham County, North Carolina.

Is commuting expensive in Durham County, North Carolina?

Commuters here spend an estimated 173 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,354 at a typical national wage. That's 5% less than the typical North Carolina commuter spends.

What time should you leave for work to avoid traffic in Durham County, North Carolina?

Traffic peaks between 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM in Durham County, North Carolina. 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 money can remote workers save in Durham County, North Carolina?

About 20.2% of workers here already work from home. Working from home just 2 days a week in Durham County would save about 69 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,141 at the same national wage assumption used above.

Which counties in North Carolina have the fastest and slowest commutes?

Among counties in North Carolina, the shortest average commutes are in Macon County (17.1 min), Dare County (17.2 min), Graham County (17.2 min). The longest are in Gates County (36.3 min), Currituck County (33.6 min), Franklin County (32.4 min).