Tompkins County Commute Time Map & Patterns

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Compare commute patterns and ask AI Map about Tompkins County.

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You 8/20/26, 12:45 PM
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Map AI 8/20/26, 12:45 PM

Commute Time Burden in Tompkins County: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Tompkins 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 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.

That is 38% less time on the road than the New York average of 29.0 minutes each way, a difference of 11.1 minutes.

Tompkins County holds about 0.5% of New York's population but accounts for roughly 0.3% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Tompkins County would save about 60 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $1,845 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)
Tompkins County 17.9 min 35.7 min 149 hrs/yr $4,614 1,326
New York 29.0 min 57.9 min 241 hrs/yr $7,480 1,586
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: New York Counties

Fastest commutes among counties in New York
  1. Chautauqua County (15.3 min)
  2. Hamilton County (15.8 min)
  3. Clinton County (16.4 min)
Slowest commutes among counties in New York
  1. Bronx County (45.1 min)
  2. Kings County (42.1 min)
  3. Queens County (42.1 min)

Compare commute times among different counties

On average, it takes 17.9 minutes to get to work in Tompkins County. That's 21% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

Faster than 75% of counties in New York

The most common departure window is 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM , followed by 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM .

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 19.0% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 62.4%
  • Worked at Home: 19.0%
  • Walked: 10.4%
  • Public Transportation: 5.4% unusually low
  • Bicycle: 1.5%
  • Other: 1.1%
  • Motorcycle: 0.3% unusually high
  • Taxi: < 0.1% unusually low

Motorcycle commuting is unusually common in Tompkins County: 3.7 times more than the New York average (0.3% vs 0.1%).

Public Transportation commuting is unusually low in Tompkins County: 4.2 times less than the New York average (5.4% vs 22.5%).

Taxi commuting is unusually low in Tompkins County: 13.1 times less than the New York average (0.1% vs 0.7%).

How does Tompkins County's commute time compare?

Metric Tompkins County New York US Average
Avg. Commute Time 17.9 min 29.0 min 22.5 min
Departure Window 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM 08:00 AM – 08:29 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 19.0% 13.4% 13.4%
Walked 10.4% 5.7% 2.4%
Public Transit 5.4% 22.5% 3.5%

The average commute time in Tompkins County is 17.9 minutes, shorter than the 29.0 minutes in New York.

5.4% commute by public transit, lower than the 22.5% in New York. 10.4% commute by walking, higher than the 5.7% in New York.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Tompkins County, New York.

What is the financial impact of commuting in Tompkins County, New York?

Commuters here spend an estimated 149 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $4,614 at a typical national wage. That's 38% less than the typical New York commuter spends.

What are the busiest morning travel hours in Tompkins County, New York?

Traffic peaks between 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM in Tompkins County, New York. 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.

Do people use public transit in Tompkins County, New York?

Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 5.4% of commuters use it versus 22.5% in New York, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.

How much time do residents in Tompkins County, New York save by working from home?

About 19.0% of workers here already work from home. Working from home just 2 days a week in Tompkins County would save about 60 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $1,845 at the same national wage assumption used above.

Which counties in New York have the fastest and slowest commutes?

Among counties in New York, the shortest average commutes are in Chautauqua County (15.3 min), Hamilton County (15.8 min), Clinton County (16.4 min). The longest are in Bronx County (45.1 min), Kings County (42.1 min), Queens County (42.1 min).