Commuting in Rockland County, New York: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
You9/24/26, 2:17 PM
Is the commute in Rockland County longer than the national average?
Map AI9/24/26, 2:17 PM
Commute Time Burden in Rockland County: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Rockland County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 191 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting. That is 20% less time on the road than the New York average of 28.7 minutes each way, a difference of 5.8 minutes.
Rockland County holds about 1.7% of New York's population but accounts for roughly 1.4% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Rockland County would save about 76 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,368 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)
Rockland County
22.9 min
45.8 min
191 hrs/yr
$5,919
2,405
New York
28.7 min
57.4 min
239 hrs/yr
$7,414
1,586
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
22.9
minutes to get to work in
Rockland County.
That's 2% longer than the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
Slower than 77% of counties in New York
The most common departure window is 09:00 AM – 09:59 AM, followed by 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM. Driving is the most common commute choice, followed by working from home. About 13.3% work from home.
How People Get to Work in Rockland County
Car:
74.2%unusually high
Worked at Home:
13.3%
Public Transportation:
6.2%unusually low
Walked:
3.1%
Taxi:
2.0%
Other:
1.0%
Bicycle:
< 0.1%unusually low
Motorcycle:
< 0.1%unusually low
Riding a motorcycle is unusually rare in Rockland County: 9.8 times less than the New York average (0.0% vs 0.1%).
Driving is 35% more common in Rockland County than the New York average (74.2% vs 55.0%).
Public transit is unusually rare in Rockland County: 3.5 times less than the New York average (6.2% vs 21.7%).
Biking is unusually rare in Rockland County: 17.2 times less than the New York average (0.0% vs 0.8%).
Commute Mode Trends in Rockland County, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in Rockland 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
Public Transportation
Walked
Taxi
Other
Motorcycle
Bicycle
2009
82.1%
4.2%
8.4%
3.6%
0.9%
0.5%
0.1%
0.1%
2010
81.6%
4.3%
8.8%
3.7%
0.8%
0.6%
0.1%
0.1%
2011
81.9%
4.3%
8.6%
3.7%
0.9%
0.5%
0.1%
0.1%
2012
81.6%
4.3%
8.9%
3.7%
0.9%
0.5%
0.1%
0.1%
2013
81.8%
4.2%
8.8%
3.7%
0.9%
0.5%
0.1%
0.1%
2014
82.1%
4.4%
8.6%
3.5%
0.9%
0.4%
0.0%
0.1%
2015
81.7%
4.7%
8.6%
3.5%
0.9%
0.4%
0.0%
0.1%
2016
81.6%
4.8%
8.7%
3.3%
0.9%
0.5%
0.1%
0.1%
2017
81.3%
5.0%
8.6%
3.4%
1.1%
0.5%
0.1%
0.1%
2018
81.4%
5.0%
8.6%
3.3%
1.1%
0.5%
0.1%
0.1%
2019
81.2%
5.4%
8.1%
3.3%
1.3%
0.5%
0.1%
0.1%
2020
79.6%
7.0%
7.8%
3.5%
1.3%
0.6%
0.1%
0.0%
2021
78.3%
8.7%
7.2%
3.4%
1.8%
0.6%
0.0%
0.0%
2022
77.6%
11.0%
5.6%
3.4%
1.7%
0.7%
0.0%
0.0%
2023
74.9%
12.8%
6.3%
3.2%
1.9%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
2024
74.2%
13.3%
6.2%
3.1%
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Driving was the most common way to get to work in every release from 2009 to 2024. Overall its share fell from 82.1% in 2009 to 74.2% in 2024, down 7.9 percentage points. It has fallen in each of the last 6 releases.
Working from home gained the most ground in Rockland County: its share of workers rose from 4.2% in 2009 to 13.3% in 2024, up 9.1 percentage points. Most of that increase, 7.9 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Public transit lost the most ground, falling from 8.4% to 6.2% of workers (down 2.2 percentage points).
Working from home overtook public transit to become the 2nd most common choice in the 2021 release and has stayed ahead since.
Commute Start Times in Rockland County
🛌Hitting SnoozeThe 2nd-biggest shift to later mornings among New York's 62 counties: the typical start is 12 minutes later than in 2009.
What Time Do People Leave for Work in Rockland County?
The bars show when commuters in Rockland 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 York for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
12:00-4:59 AM
12:00-4:59 AMRockland County2.7%New York3.9%
2.7%
5:00-5:29 AM
5:00-5:29 AMRockland County1.9%New York2.9%
1.9%
5:30-5:59 AM
5:30-5:59 AMRockland County3.5%New York3.7%
3.5%
6:00-6:29 AM
6:00-6:29 AMRockland County7.1%New York7.5%
7.1%
6:30-6:59 AM
6:30-6:59 AMRockland County7.6%New York8.1%
7.6%
7:00-7:29 AM
7:00-7:29 AMRockland County11.7%New York13.9%
11.7%
7:30-7:59 AM
7:30-7:59 AMRockland County11.8%New York11.1%
11.8%
8:00-8:29 AM
8:00-8:29 AMRockland County12.3%New York14.0%
12.3%
8:30-8:59 AM
8:30-8:59 AMRockland County10.6%New York7.7%
10.6%
9:00-9:59 AM
9:00-9:59 AMRockland County12.5%New York9.5%
12.5%
10:00-10:59 AM
10:00-10:59 AMRockland County4.3%New York3.7%
4.3%
11:00-11:59 AM
11:00-11:59 AMRockland County2.0%New York1.7%
2.0%
12:00-3:59 PM
12:00-3:59 PMRockland County6.5%New York6.9%
6.5%
4:00-11:59 PM
4:00-11:59 PMRockland County5.6%New York5.3%
5.6%
Rockland CountyNew YorkSource: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in Rockland County is 9:00-9:59 AM, when 12.5% of commuters leave home, compared with 9.5% across New York. Early starts are less common than in New York: 8.2% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 10.6% there. The morning rush is more spread out than in New York: 43.3% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 47.1% there. About 1 in 3 commuters (30.8%) 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 Rockland 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 Rockland 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 Rockland County next to New York 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
Rockland County
New York
United States
2009
7:57 AM
7:54 AM
7:37 AM
2010
8:00 AM
7:54 AM
7:38 AM
2011
8:00 AM
7:54 AM
7:38 AM
2012
8:01 AM
7:55 AM
7:38 AM
2013
8:02 AM
7:56 AM
7:39 AM
2014
8:02 AM
7:56 AM
7:39 AM
2015
8:02 AM
7:56 AM
7:38 AM
2016
8:01 AM
7:56 AM
7:38 AM
2017
8:02 AM
7:56 AM
7:38 AM
2018
8:01 AM
7:55 AM
7:37 AM
2019
8:02 AM
7:55 AM
7:37 AM
2020
8:04 AM
7:55 AM
7:37 AM
2021
8:09 AM
7:55 AM
7:37 AM
2022
8:06 AM
7:56 AM
7:37 AM
2023
8:07 AM
7:56 AM
7:38 AM
2024
8:09 AM
7:57 AM
7:38 AM
In 2024, half of commuters in Rockland County were on the road by 8:09 AM, 12 minutes later than in 2009 (7:57 AM). The shift is sharper than across New York, where the typical start moved 3 minutes later. Commuters in Rockland County now leave 31 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 Rockland County has moved 7 minutes later. The 2024 release is the latest typical start for Rockland County in the whole series.
How does Rockland County's commute time compare?
Metric
Rockland County
New York
US Average
Avg. Commute Time
22.9 min
28.7 min
22.4 min
Departure Window
09:00 AM – 09:59 AM
08:00 AM – 08:29 AM
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
Secondary Departure Window
08:00 AM – 08:29 AM
07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home
13.3%
15.0%
15.0%
Walked
3.1%
5.6%
2.4%
Public Transit
6.2%
21.7%
3.2%
The average commute time in Rockland County is 22.9 minutes, shorter than the 28.7 minutes in New York.
6.2% commute by public transit, lower than the 21.7% in New York. 3.1% commute by walking, lower than the 5.6% in New York.
Rockland County, NY Commute Compared With Nearby Counties
Rockland County, NY is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 340,860 residents against a local median of 960,507. Where Rockland County, NY breaks from the counties next to it is one-way commute, sitting 15% below the local median of 27.0 min at 22.9 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 20.7 min on one-way commute, so Rockland County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rockland County, NY has the 2nd lowest one-way commute of the 6 areas compared here.
Common questions about commuting in Rockland County, New York.
Is commuting expensive in Rockland County, New York?
Commuters here spend an estimated 191 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,919 at a typical national wage. That's 20% less than the typical New York commuter spends.
What time should you leave for work to avoid traffic in Rockland County, New York?
Traffic peaks between 09:00 AM – 09:59 AM in Rockland County, New York. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM also sees a secondary bump.
Do people use public transit in Rockland County, New York?
Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 6.2% of commuters use it versus 21.7% in New York, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.
Which counties in New York have the fastest and slowest commutes?
Among counties in New York, the shortest average commutes are in Hamilton County (13.6 min), Chautauqua County (15.4 min), Franklin County (16.4 min). The longest are in Bronx County (43.2 min), Queens County (41.8 min), Kings County (41.6 min).