Lea County Commute Time Map & Patterns
HelpCommuting in Lea County, New Mexico: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
Commute Time Burden in Lea County: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Lea County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 112 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting. That is 28% less time on the road than the New Mexico average of 18.8 minutes each way, a difference of 5.3 minutes.
Lea County holds about 3.5% of New Mexico's population but accounts for roughly 2.5% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Lea County would save about 45 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $1,394 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lea County | 13.5 min | 27.0 min | 112 hrs/yr | $3,484 | 429 |
| New Mexico | 18.8 min | 37.7 min | 157 hrs/yr | $4,866 | 619 |
| 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: New Mexico Counties
- De Baca County (7.9 min)
- Quay County (8.0 min)
- Union County (8.3 min)
- Torrance County (36.5 min)
- Mora County (30.1 min)
- Valencia County (30.1 min)
Compare commute times among different counties
On average, it takes 13.5 minutes to get to work in Lea County. That's 40% shorter than the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
The most common departure window is 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM, followed by 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM. Driving is the most common commute choice, followed by working from home. About 3.7% work from home.
How People Get to Work in Lea County
- Car: 93.6%
- Worked at Home: 3.7% unusually low
- Walked: 1.4%
- Other: 0.6%
- Public Transportation: 0.3%
- Motorcycle: 0.2%
- Bicycle: 0.1% unusually low
- Taxi: < 0.1% unusually low
Taking a taxi is unusually rare in Lea County: 89583.8 times less than the New Mexico average (0.0% vs 0.1%).
Working from home is unusually rare in Lea County: 3.3 times less than the New Mexico average (3.7% vs 12.2%).
Biking is unusually rare in Lea County: 3.4 times less than the New Mexico average (0.1% vs 0.5%).
Commute Mode Trends in Lea County, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in Lea 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 | Walked | Other | Public Transportation | Motorcycle | Bicycle | Taxi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 93.8% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2010 | 93.6% | 2.8% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 93.3% | 3.3% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 94.0% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 93.5% | 2.7% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2014 | 93.9% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 1.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2015 | 93.8% | 2.4% | 2.0% | 1.1% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 94.3% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2017 | 95.0% | 2.1% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 95.7% | 2.1% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2019 | 96.1% | 2.3% | 1.0% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2020 | 95.6% | 2.8% | 0.9% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 94.8% | 3.0% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 94.4% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 94.4% | 3.7% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 93.6% | 3.7% | 1.4% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 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 96.1% and lowest in 2011 at 93.3%. Overall it held roughly steady, at 93.8% in 2009 and 93.6% in 2024. It has fallen in the latest release.
Working from home gained the most ground in Lea County: its share of workers rose from 2.9% in 2009 to 3.7% in 2024, up 0.8 percentage points. Most of that increase, 1.4 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Commute Start Times in Lea County
- 🐦 Early BirdThe 2nd-earliest start among New Mexico's 33 counties: half of commuters are on the road by 7:10 AM.
- 🌅 Dawn PatrolThe 2nd-highest share of pre-6 AM departures among New Mexico's 33 counties: 26.0% of commuters leave before 6 AM.
What Time Do People Leave for Work in Lea County?
The bars show when commuters in Lea 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 New Mexico for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
| 12:00-4:59 AM |
12:00-4:59 AM
Lea County8.7%
New Mexico4.6%
|
8.7% |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00-5:29 AM |
5:00-5:29 AM
Lea County10.8%
New Mexico3.5%
|
10.8% |
| 5:30-5:59 AM |
5:30-5:59 AM
Lea County6.5%
New Mexico5.1%
|
6.5% |
| 6:00-6:29 AM |
6:00-6:29 AM
Lea County10.9%
New Mexico8.7%
|
10.9% |
| 6:30-6:59 AM |
6:30-6:59 AM
Lea County8.5%
New Mexico10.1%
|
8.5% |
| 7:00-7:29 AM |
7:00-7:29 AM
Lea County13.9%
New Mexico15.5%
|
13.9% |
| 7:30-7:59 AM |
7:30-7:59 AM
Lea County14.5%
New Mexico14.8%
|
14.5% |
| 8:00-8:29 AM |
8:00-8:29 AM
Lea County9.7%
New Mexico11.1%
|
9.7% |
| 8:30-8:59 AM |
8:30-8:59 AM
Lea County1.7%
New Mexico4.5%
|
1.7% |
| 9:00-9:59 AM |
9:00-9:59 AM
Lea County2.4%
New Mexico6.0%
|
2.4% |
| 10:00-10:59 AM |
10:00-10:59 AM
Lea County2.6%
New Mexico3.1%
|
2.6% |
| 11:00-11:59 AM |
11:00-11:59 AM
Lea County0.7%
New Mexico1.3%
|
0.7% |
| 12:00-3:59 PM |
12:00-3:59 PM
Lea County5.1%
New Mexico6.3%
|
5.1% |
| 4:00-11:59 PM |
4:00-11:59 PM
Lea County4.0%
New Mexico5.5%
|
4.0% |
Lea County New Mexico Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in Lea County is 7:30-7:59 AM, when 14.5% of commuters leave home, compared with 14.8% across New Mexico. Early starts are more common than in New Mexico: 26.0% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 13.1% there. The morning rush is more spread out than in New Mexico: 46.7% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 51.5% there. About 1 in 7 commuters (14.8%) 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 Lea 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 Lea 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 Lea County next to New Mexico 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 | Lea County | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 7:13 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2010 | 7:15 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2011 | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2012 | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2013 | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2014 | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2015 | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2016 | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2017 | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2018 | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2019 | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2020 | 7:09 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2021 | 7:11 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2022 | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2023 | 7:09 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2024 | 7:10 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM |
In 2024, half of commuters in Lea County were on the road by 7:10 AM, 3 minutes earlier than in 2009 (7:13 AM). New Mexico followed the same path, with the typical start moving 2 minutes earlier. Commuters in Lea County now leave 28 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 Lea County has moved 2 minutes later.
How does Lea County's commute time compare?
| Metric | Lea County | New Mexico | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 13.5 min | 18.8 min | 22.4 min |
| Departure Window | 07:30 AM – 07:59 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 | 3.7% | 12.2% | 15.0% |
| Walked | 1.4% | 1.9% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 0.3% | 0.6% | 3.2% |
The average commute time in Lea County is 13.5 minutes, shorter than the 18.8 minutes in New Mexico.
0.3% commute by public transit, lower than the 0.6% in New Mexico. 1.4% commute by walking, lower than the 1.9% in New Mexico.
Lea County, NM Commute Compared With Nearby Counties
Lea County, NM is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 73,733 residents against a local median of 18,610. Lea County, NM's work from home, at 3.7%, runs 23% above the 3.0% typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread 6.5% on work from home, so Lea County, NM sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lea County, NM has the 3rd highest work from home of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | One-way commute | Work from home | Typical departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lea County, NM | 73,733 | 13.5 min #3/6 | 3.7% #3/6 | 7:10 AM #2/6 |
| Yoakum County, TX | 7,571 | 17.2 min | 2.9% | 7:34 AM |
| Gaines County, TX | 22,232 | 13.7 min | 3.0% | 7:20 AM |
| Andrews County, TX | 18,610 | 13.5 min | 3.7% | 7:14 AM |
| Eddy County, NM | 61,104 | 15.1 min | 6.5% | 7:06 AM |
| Loving County, TX | 33 | 3.3 min | 0.0% | 8:43 AM |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in Lea County, New Mexico.
How much does the average commute cost workers in Lea County, New Mexico?
Commuters here spend an estimated 112 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $3,484 at a typical national wage. That's 28% less than the typical New Mexico commuter spends.
When is rush hour worst in Lea County, New Mexico?
Traffic peaks between 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM in Lea County, New Mexico. 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.
Where are the quickest and slowest commutes among counties in New Mexico?
Among counties in New Mexico, the shortest average commutes are in De Baca County (7.9 min), Quay County (8.0 min), Union County (8.3 min). The longest are in Torrance County (36.5 min), Mora County (30.1 min), Valencia County (30.1 min).