Arlington County Commute Time Map & Patterns

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Compare commute patterns and ask AI Map about Arlington County.

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You 8/20/26, 12:32 PM
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Map AI 8/20/26, 12:32 PM

Commute Time Burden in Arlington County: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Arlington County spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 218 hours, about 9.1 full days, spent commuting.

That is 12% more time on the road than the Virginia average of 23.3 minutes each way, a difference of 2.9 minutes.

Arlington County holds about 2.7% of Virginia's population but accounts for roughly 3.1% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Arlington County would save about 87 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,701 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)
Arlington County 26.1 min 52.3 min 218 hrs/yr $6,752 3,908
Virginia 23.3 min 46.5 min 194 hrs/yr $6,010 1,531
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: Virginia Counties

Fastest commutes among counties in Virginia
  1. Lexington city (8.7 min)
  2. Norton city (11.5 min)
  3. Covington city (11.8 min)
Slowest commutes among counties in Virginia
  1. Surry County (43.2 min)
  2. Amelia County (40.4 min)
  3. Buckingham County (38.3 min)

Compare commute times among different counties

On average, it takes 26.1 minutes to get to work in Arlington County. That's 16% longer than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

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 31.5% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 45.0% unusually low
  • Worked at Home: 31.5%
  • Public Transportation: 15.9% unusually high
  • Walked: 4.3%
  • Bicycle: 1.4% unusually high
  • Other: 1.2%
  • Taxi: 0.6%
  • Motorcycle: 0.1%

Car commuting in Arlington County is 42% lower than the Virginia average (45.0% vs 77.4%).

Public Transportation commuting is unusually common in Arlington County: 6.1 times more than the Virginia average (15.9% vs 2.6%).

Bicycle commuting is unusually common in Arlington County: 4.8 times more than the Virginia average (1.4% vs 0.3%).

How does Arlington County's commute time compare?

Metric Arlington County Virginia US Average
Avg. Commute Time 26.1 min 23.3 min 22.5 min
Departure Window 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM
Secondary Departure Window 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home 31.5% 16.2% 13.4%
Walked 4.3% 2.1% 2.4%
Public Transit 15.9% 2.6% 3.5%

The average commute time in Arlington County is 26.1 minutes, longer than the 23.3 minutes in Virginia.

15.9% commute by public transit, higher than the 2.6% in Virginia. 4.3% commute by walking, higher than the 2.1% in Virginia.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Arlington County, Virginia.

How much does the average commute cost workers in Arlington County, Virginia?

Commuters here spend an estimated 218 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $6,752 at a typical national wage. That's 12% more than the typical Virginia commuter spends.

When is rush hour worst in Arlington County, Virginia?

Traffic peaks between 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM in Arlington County, Virginia. 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.

Is public transportation a realistic commute option in Arlington County, Virginia?

Public transit usage is notably higher here than typical: about 15.9% of commuters use it versus 2.6% in Virginia, making it a realistic option for many workers.

How much money can remote workers save in Arlington County, Virginia?

About 31.5% of workers here already work from home. Working from home just 2 days a week in Arlington County would save about 87 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,701 at the same national wage assumption used above.

Where are the quickest and slowest commutes among counties in Virginia?

Among counties in Virginia, the shortest average commutes are in Lexington city (8.7 min), Norton city (11.5 min), Covington city (11.8 min). The longest are in Surry County (43.2 min), Amelia County (40.4 min), Buckingham County (38.3 min).