Buffalo County Commute Time Map & Patterns

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Compare commute patterns and ask AI Map about Buffalo County.

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You 8/20/26, 12:21 PM
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Map AI 8/20/26, 12:21 PM

Commute Time Burden in Buffalo County: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Buffalo County spend about 17 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 71 hours, about 2.9 full days, spent commuting.

That is 45% less time on the road than the South Dakota average of 15.3 minutes each way, a difference of 6.9 minutes.

Buffalo County holds about 0.2% of South Dakota's population but accounts for roughly 0.1% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Buffalo County would save about 28 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $876 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)
Buffalo County 8.5 min 17.0 min 71 hrs/yr $2,190 70
South Dakota 15.3 min 30.7 min 128 hrs/yr $3,961 353
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: South Dakota Counties

Fastest commutes among counties in South Dakota
  1. Jones County (6.4 min)
  2. Jackson County (7.5 min)
  3. Bennett County (7.7 min)
Slowest commutes among counties in South Dakota
  1. McCook County (26.4 min)
  2. Ziebach County (25.1 min)
  3. Turner County (25.1 min)

Compare commute times among different counties

On average, it takes 8.5 minutes to get to work in Buffalo County. That's 62% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

Faster than 91% of counties in South Dakota

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

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 12.9% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 79.8%
  • Worked at Home: 12.9%
  • Walked: 5.2%
  • Other: 2.1%
  • Motorcycle: < 0.1% unusually low
  • Public Transportation: < 0.1% unusually low
  • Taxi: < 0.1% unusually low
  • Bicycle: < 0.1% unusually low

Motorcycle commuting is essentially absent in Buffalo County, versus 0.2% in South Dakota.

Public Transportation commuting is essentially absent in Buffalo County, versus 0.5% in South Dakota.

Taxi commuting is essentially absent in Buffalo County, versus 0.1% in South Dakota.

Bicycle commuting is essentially absent in Buffalo County, versus 0.3% in South Dakota.

How does Buffalo County's commute time compare?

Metric Buffalo County South Dakota US Average
Avg. Commute Time 8.5 min 15.3 min 22.5 min
Departure Window 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 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 12.9% 9.3% 13.4%
Walked 5.2% 3.2% 2.4%
Public Transit < 0.1% 0.5% 3.5%

The average commute time in Buffalo County is 8.5 minutes, shorter than the 15.3 minutes in South Dakota.

0.0% commute by public transit, lower than the 0.5% in South Dakota. 5.2% commute by walking, higher than the 3.2% in South Dakota.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Buffalo County, South Dakota.

Is living in Buffalo County, South Dakota good for avoiding long commute costs?

Commuters here spend an estimated 71 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $2,190 at a typical national wage. That's 45% less than the typical South Dakota commuter spends.

When is peak congestion during the morning commute in Buffalo County, South Dakota?

Traffic peaks between 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM in Buffalo County, South Dakota. 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.

Is public transportation a realistic commute option in Buffalo County, South Dakota?

Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.0% of commuters use it versus 0.5% in South Dakota, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.

How much money can remote workers save in Buffalo County, South Dakota?

About 12.9% of workers here already work from home. Working from home just 2 days a week in Buffalo County would save about 28 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $876 at the same national wage assumption used above.

How do commute times compare across counties in South Dakota?

Among counties in South Dakota, the shortest average commutes are in Jones County (6.4 min), Jackson County (7.5 min), Bennett County (7.7 min). The longest are in McCook County (26.4 min), Ziebach County (25.1 min), Turner County (25.1 min).