Polk County Commute Time Map & Patterns

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Compare commute patterns and ask AI Map about Polk County.

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You 8/20/26, 12:17 PM
Is the commute in Polk County longer than the national average?
Map AI 8/20/26, 12:17 PM

Commute Time Burden in Polk County: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Polk County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 254 hours, about 10.6 full days, spent commuting.

That is 37% more time on the road than the Tennessee average of 22.4 minutes each way, a difference of 8.2 minutes.

Polk County holds about 0.2% of Tennessee's population but accounts for roughly 0.3% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Polk County would save about 102 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $3,155 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 30.5 min 61.1 min 254 hrs/yr $7,887 989
Tennessee 22.4 min 44.7 min 186 hrs/yr $5,774 1,225
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: Tennessee Counties

Fastest commutes among counties in Tennessee
  1. Dyer County (16.2 min)
  2. Fentress County (16.2 min)
  3. Henry County (16.7 min)
Slowest commutes among counties in Tennessee
  1. Trousdale County (37.0 min)
  2. Houston County (36.2 min)
  3. Cannon County (33.2 min)

Compare commute times among different counties

On average, it takes 30.5 minutes to get to work in Polk County. That's 36% longer than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

Slower than 78% of counties in Tennessee

The most common departure window is 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM , followed by 06:00 AM – 06:29 AM .

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 8.0% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 89.7%
  • Worked at Home: 8.0%
  • Walked: 1.7%
  • Other: 0.5%
  • Public Transportation: < 0.1% unusually low
  • Motorcycle: < 0.1% unusually low
  • Taxi: < 0.1% unusually low
  • Bicycle: < 0.1% unusually low

Motorcycle commuting is essentially absent in Polk County, versus 0.1% in Tennessee.

Public Transportation commuting is unusually low in Polk County: 5.0 times less than the Tennessee average (0.1% vs 0.5%).

Taxi commuting is essentially absent in Polk County, versus 0.1% in Tennessee.

Bicycle commuting is essentially absent in Polk County, versus 0.1% in Tennessee.

How does Polk County's commute time compare?

Metric Polk County Tennessee US Average
Avg. Commute Time 30.5 min 22.4 min 22.5 min
Departure Window 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
Secondary Departure Window 06:00 AM – 06:29 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home 8.0% 11.4% 13.4%
Walked 1.7% 1.2% 2.4%
Public Transit < 0.1% 0.5% 3.5%

The average commute time in Polk County is 30.5 minutes, longer than the 22.4 minutes in Tennessee.

0.1% commute by public transit, lower than the 0.5% in Tennessee. 1.7% commute by walking, higher than the 1.2% in Tennessee.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Polk County, Tennessee.

What is the financial impact of commuting in Polk County, Tennessee?

Commuters here spend an estimated 254 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $7,887 at a typical national wage. That's 37% more than the typical Tennessee commuter spends.

What are the busiest morning travel hours in Polk County, Tennessee?

Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Polk County, Tennessee. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 06:00 AM – 06:29 AM also sees a secondary bump.

How common is public transit use in Polk County, Tennessee?

Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.1% of commuters use it versus 0.5% in Tennessee, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.

Which counties in Tennessee have the fastest and slowest commutes?

Among counties in Tennessee, the shortest average commutes are in Dyer County (16.2 min), Fentress County (16.2 min), Henry County (16.7 min). The longest are in Trousdale County (37.0 min), Houston County (36.2 min), Cannon County (33.2 min).