Commuting in Polk County, Nebraska: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
You9/24/26, 7:21 PM
What does a typical morning commute look like in Polk County?
Map AI9/24/26, 7:21 PM
Commute Time Burden in Polk County: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Polk County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 148 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting. That is 4% more time on the road than the Nebraska average of 17.0 minutes each way, a difference of 0.8 minutes.
Polk County holds about 0.3% of Nebraska's population and accounts for roughly 0.3% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Polk County would save about 59 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $1,835 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)
Polk County
17.8 min
35.5 min
148 hrs/yr
$4,586
517
Nebraska
17.0 min
34.0 min
142 hrs/yr
$4,390
691
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.
On average, it takes
17.8
minutes to get to work in
Polk County.
That's 21% shorter than the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
Slower than 76% of counties in Nebraska
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 11.7% work from home.
How People Get to Work in Polk County
Car:
83.7%
Worked at Home:
11.7%
Walked:
4.0%
Bicycle:
0.4%
Other:
0.2%
Public Transportation:
0.1%unusually low
Motorcycle:
< 0.1%unusually low
Taxi:
< 0.1%unusually low
Riding a motorcycle is essentially absent in Polk County, versus 0.1% in Nebraska.
Public transit is unusually rare in Polk County: 4.3 times less than the Nebraska average (0.1% vs 0.5%).
Taking a taxi is essentially absent in Polk County, versus 0.1% in Nebraska.
Commute Mode Trends in Polk County, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in Polk 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.
Share of workers aged 16 and over, by ACS 5-year release year. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.Show commute mode data by year
Year
Car
Worked at Home
Walked
Bicycle
Other
Public Transportation
Taxi
Motorcycle
2009
83.3%
9.5%
5.5%
0.6%
1.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2010
83.8%
9.2%
5.4%
0.8%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2011
82.8%
10.8%
4.6%
0.6%
1.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2012
85.5%
8.8%
4.1%
0.6%
0.9%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2013
87.1%
8.6%
3.8%
0.2%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2014
87.0%
8.2%
3.9%
0.1%
0.7%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2015
87.9%
8.1%
3.3%
0.1%
0.6%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2016
89.1%
6.6%
3.6%
0.2%
0.6%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2017
88.6%
6.5%
3.7%
0.1%
0.8%
0.2%
0.0%
0.0%
2018
88.6%
6.4%
3.6%
0.2%
1.0%
0.2%
0.0%
0.0%
2019
90.4%
4.9%
3.6%
0.2%
0.8%
0.2%
0.0%
0.0%
2020
86.2%
8.3%
4.4%
0.2%
0.7%
0.4%
0.0%
0.0%
2021
84.7%
9.6%
4.7%
0.0%
0.7%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
2022
84.5%
10.5%
4.5%
0.0%
0.3%
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
2023
85.1%
9.8%
4.7%
0.0%
0.3%
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
2024
83.7%
11.7%
4.0%
0.4%
0.2%
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 was highest in 2019 at 90.4% and lowest in 2011 at 82.8%. Overall it held roughly steady, at 83.3% in 2009 and 83.7% in 2024. It has fallen in the latest release.
Working from home gained the most ground in Polk County: its share of workers rose from 9.5% in 2009 to 11.7% in 2024, up 2.2 percentage points. Most of that increase, 6.8 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Walking lost the most ground, falling from 5.5% to 4.0% of workers (down 1.5 percentage points).
Commute Start Times in Polk County
What Time Do People Leave for Work in Polk County?
The bars show when commuters in Polk 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 Nebraska for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
12:00-4:59 AM
12:00-4:59 AMPolk County4.0%Nebraska4.3%
4.0%
5:00-5:29 AM
5:00-5:29 AMPolk County5.5%Nebraska3.2%
5.5%
5:30-5:59 AM
5:30-5:59 AMPolk County5.2%Nebraska5.1%
5.2%
6:00-6:29 AM
6:00-6:29 AMPolk County12.3%Nebraska7.7%
12.3%
6:30-6:59 AM
6:30-6:59 AMPolk County8.4%Nebraska10.5%
8.4%
7:00-7:29 AM
7:00-7:29 AMPolk County15.8%Nebraska15.5%
15.8%
7:30-7:59 AM
7:30-7:59 AMPolk County15.5%Nebraska16.7%
15.5%
8:00-8:29 AM
8:00-8:29 AMPolk County12.6%Nebraska10.5%
12.6%
8:30-8:59 AM
8:30-8:59 AMPolk County2.9%Nebraska4.4%
2.9%
9:00-9:59 AM
9:00-9:59 AMPolk County5.4%Nebraska4.8%
5.4%
10:00-10:59 AM
10:00-10:59 AMPolk County2.6%Nebraska2.4%
2.6%
11:00-11:59 AM
11:00-11:59 AMPolk County0.7%Nebraska1.4%
0.7%
12:00-3:59 PM
12:00-3:59 PMPolk County3.9%Nebraska7.1%
3.9%
4:00-11:59 PM
4:00-11:59 PMPolk County5.3%Nebraska6.5%
5.3%
Polk CountyNebraskaSource: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in Polk County is 7:00-7:29 AM, when 15.8% of commuters leave home, compared with 15.5% across Nebraska. Early starts are more common than in Nebraska: 14.6% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 12.6% there. The morning rush looks much like Nebraska's: 52.3% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 53.1% there. About 1 in 6 commuters (17.9%) 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 Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County next to Nebraska 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.
Median time commuters leave home, by ACS 5-year release year. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.Show typical departure times by year
Year
Polk County
Nebraska
United States
2009
7:25 AM
7:39 AM
7:37 AM
2010
7:27 AM
7:38 AM
7:38 AM
2011
7:24 AM
7:38 AM
7:38 AM
2012
7:20 AM
7:38 AM
7:38 AM
2013
7:22 AM
7:38 AM
7:39 AM
2014
7:23 AM
7:38 AM
7:39 AM
2015
7:25 AM
7:37 AM
7:38 AM
2016
7:25 AM
7:37 AM
7:38 AM
2017
7:29 AM
7:36 AM
7:38 AM
2018
7:25 AM
7:36 AM
7:37 AM
2019
7:21 AM
7:36 AM
7:37 AM
2020
7:17 AM
7:36 AM
7:37 AM
2021
7:15 AM
7:36 AM
7:37 AM
2022
7:17 AM
7:36 AM
7:37 AM
2023
7:21 AM
7:37 AM
7:38 AM
2024
7:28 AM
7:37 AM
7:38 AM
In 2024, half of commuters in Polk County were on the road by 7:28 AM, 3 minutes later than in 2009 (7:25 AM). That goes against the trend across Nebraska, where the typical commuter now leaves 2 minutes earlier than in 2009. Commuters in Polk County now leave 10 minutes earlier than the typical American commuter (7:38 AM). Since the 2019 release, which covers the years just before the pandemic, the typical start in Polk County has moved 7 minutes later.
How does Polk County's commute time compare?
Metric
Polk County
Nebraska
US Average
Avg. Commute Time
17.8 min
17.0 min
22.4 min
Departure Window
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
Secondary Departure Window
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home
11.7%
11.1%
15.0%
Walked
4.0%
2.3%
2.4%
Public Transit
0.1%
0.5%
3.2%
The average commute time in Polk County is 17.8 minutes, longer than the 17.0 minutes in Nebraska.
0.1% commute by public transit, lower than the 0.5% in Nebraska. 4.0% commute by walking, higher than the 2.3% in Nebraska.
Polk County, NE Commute Compared With Nearby Counties
Polk County, NE is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,225 residents against a local median of 8,424. Polk County, NE's work from home, at 11.7%, runs 94% above the 6.0% typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread 3.4% on work from home, so Polk County, NE sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Polk County, NE has the highest work from home of the 6 areas compared here.
Common questions about commuting in Polk County, Nebraska.
How much does the average commute cost workers in Polk County, Nebraska?
Commuters here spend an estimated 148 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $4,586 at a typical national wage. That's 4% more than the typical Nebraska commuter spends.
When is rush hour worst in Polk County, Nebraska?
Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Polk County, Nebraska. 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.
How common is public transit use in Polk County, Nebraska?
Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.1% of commuters use it versus 0.5% in Nebraska, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.
Which counties in Nebraska have the fastest and slowest commutes?
Among counties in Nebraska, the shortest average commutes are in Hooker County (7.4 min), Cherry County (8.0 min), Box Butte County (8.0 min). The longest are in Cass County (28.0 min), Banner County (27.2 min), Saunders County (26.9 min).