Union County Commute Time Map & Patterns

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Compare commute patterns and ask AI Map about Union County.

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You 8/20/26, 12:24 PM
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Map AI 8/20/26, 12:24 PM

Commute Time Burden in Union County: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Union County spend about 56 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 233 hours, about 9.7 full days, spent commuting.

That is 28% more time on the road than the North Carolina average of 21.8 minutes each way, a difference of 6.1 minutes.

Union County holds about 2.3% 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 Union County would save about 93 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,885 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)
Union County 27.9 min 55.8 min 233 hrs/yr $7,212 2,160
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 27.9 minutes to get to work in Union County. That's 24% longer than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

Slower than 87% of counties in North Carolina

The most common departure window is 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM , followed by 06:30 AM – 06:59 AM .

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 18.0% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 80.1%
  • Worked at Home: 18.0%
  • Other: 0.8%
  • Walked: 0.7%
  • Public Transportation: 0.2% unusually low
  • Motorcycle: 0.1%
  • Taxi: < 0.1% unusually low
  • Bicycle: < 0.1% unusually low

Public Transportation commuting is unusually low in Union County: 4.1 times less than the North Carolina average (0.2% vs 0.7%).

Taxi commuting is unusually low in Union County: 3.9 times less than the North Carolina average (0.0% vs 0.1%).

Bicycle commuting is unusually low in Union County: 7.8 times less than the North Carolina average (0.0% vs 0.2%).

How does Union County's commute time compare?

Metric Union County North Carolina US Average
Avg. Commute Time 27.9 min 21.8 min 22.5 min
Departure Window 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
Secondary Departure Window 06:30 AM – 06:59 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home 18.0% 14.5% 13.4%
Walked 0.7% 1.6% 2.4%
Public Transit 0.2% 0.7% 3.5%

The average commute time in Union County is 27.9 minutes, longer than the 21.8 minutes in North Carolina.

0.2% commute by public transit, lower than the 0.7% in North Carolina. 0.7% commute by walking, lower than the 1.6% in North Carolina.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Union County, North Carolina.

Is commuting expensive in Union County, North Carolina?

Commuters here spend an estimated 233 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $7,212 at a typical national wage. That's 28% more than the typical North Carolina commuter spends.

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

Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Union County, North Carolina. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 06:30 AM – 06:59 AM also sees a secondary bump.

Is public transportation a realistic commute option in Union County, North Carolina?

Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.2% of commuters use it versus 0.7% in North Carolina, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.

How do commute times compare across counties in North Carolina?

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).