Rockbridge County Commute Time Map & Patterns
HelpCommuting in Rockbridge County, Virginia: how long it takes, when people leave home and how they get to work. Ask Map AI about any address.
Commute Time Burden in Rockbridge County: Annual Hours and Cost
Commuters in Rockbridge County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 187 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting. That is 3% less time on the road than the Virginia average of 23.2 minutes each way, a difference of 0.7 minutes.
Rockbridge County holds about 0.3% of Virginia's population and accounts for roughly 0.3% of its total commuting time.
Working from home just 2 days a week in Rockbridge County would save about 75 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,318 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockbridge County | 22.4 min | 44.9 min | 187 hrs/yr | $5,795 | 359 |
| Virginia | 23.2 min | 46.3 min | 193 hrs/yr | $5,986 | 1,531 |
| 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.
Commute Time Map: Virginia Counties
- Lexington city (10.6 min)
- Covington city (12.2 min)
- Norton city (13.1 min)
- Amelia County (43.7 min)
- Craig County (41.3 min)
- Buckingham County (41.3 min)
Compare commute times among different counties
On average, it takes 22.4 minutes to get to work in Rockbridge County. That's about the same as the 22.4-minute U.S. average.
The most common departure window is 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM, followed by 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM. Driving is the most common commute choice, followed by working from home. About 10.3% work from home.
How People Get to Work in Rockbridge County
- Car: 87.0%
- Worked at Home: 10.3%
- Walked: 0.9%
- Public Transportation: 0.9%
- Other: 0.5%
- Bicycle: 0.4%
- Motorcycle: < 0.1% unusually low
- Taxi: < 0.1% unusually low
Riding a motorcycle is essentially absent in Rockbridge County, versus 0.1% in Virginia.
Taking a taxi is essentially absent in Rockbridge County, versus 0.2% in Virginia.
Commute Mode Trends in Rockbridge County, 2009-2024
This chart shows how workers in Rockbridge 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.
Show commute mode data by year
| Year | Car | Worked at Home | Public Transportation | Walked | Other | Bicycle | Taxi | Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 90.5% | 5.9% | 0.1% | 2.3% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2010 | 90.0% | 6.2% | 0.2% | 2.5% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 91.2% | 6.3% | 0.2% | 1.4% | 0.9% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 91.8% | 5.3% | 0.2% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2013 | 93.7% | 4.3% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2014 | 92.8% | 4.8% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2015 | 92.3% | 5.6% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2016 | 91.0% | 6.1% | 0.3% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2017 | 89.7% | 7.4% | 0.4% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 90.2% | 7.1% | 0.3% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2019 | 90.8% | 6.6% | 0.3% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2020 | 88.3% | 8.0% | 0.3% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 88.3% | 8.5% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2022 | 88.8% | 8.7% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2023 | 86.3% | 10.8% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2024 | 87.0% | 10.3% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Driving was the most common way to get to work in every release from 2009 to 2024. Its share was highest in 2013 at 93.7% and lowest in 2023 at 86.3%. Overall it fell from 90.5% in 2009 to 87.0% in 2024, down 3.5 percentage points. It has risen in the latest release.
Working from home gained the most ground in Rockbridge County: its share of workers rose from 5.9% in 2009 to 10.3% in 2024, up 4.4 percentage points. Most of that increase, 3.7 points, came in the releases after 2019, which include the pandemic years.
Walking lost the most ground, falling from 2.3% to 0.9% of workers (down 1.4 percentage points).
Commute Start Times in Rockbridge County
What Time Do People Leave for Work in Rockbridge County?
The bars show when commuters in Rockbridge 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 Virginia for comparison. Hover over or tap a row for the exact numbers.
| 12:00-4:59 AM |
12:00-4:59 AM
Rockbridge County5.1%
Virginia5.0%
|
5.1% |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00-5:29 AM |
5:00-5:29 AM
Rockbridge County5.0%
Virginia4.0%
|
5.0% |
| 5:30-5:59 AM |
5:30-5:59 AM
Rockbridge County4.4%
Virginia5.0%
|
4.4% |
| 6:00-6:29 AM |
6:00-6:29 AM
Rockbridge County7.4%
Virginia8.7%
|
7.4% |
| 6:30-6:59 AM |
6:30-6:59 AM
Rockbridge County7.9%
Virginia9.2%
|
7.9% |
| 7:00-7:29 AM |
7:00-7:29 AM
Rockbridge County15.3%
Virginia14.2%
|
15.3% |
| 7:30-7:59 AM |
7:30-7:59 AM
Rockbridge County16.4%
Virginia12.1%
|
16.4% |
| 8:00-8:29 AM |
8:00-8:29 AM
Rockbridge County9.2%
Virginia12.1%
|
9.2% |
| 8:30-8:59 AM |
8:30-8:59 AM
Rockbridge County3.3%
Virginia6.4%
|
3.3% |
| 9:00-9:59 AM |
9:00-9:59 AM
Rockbridge County5.3%
Virginia7.2%
|
5.3% |
| 10:00-10:59 AM |
10:00-10:59 AM
Rockbridge County3.4%
Virginia3.0%
|
3.4% |
| 11:00-11:59 AM |
11:00-11:59 AM
Rockbridge County0.9%
Virginia1.4%
|
0.9% |
| 12:00-3:59 PM |
12:00-3:59 PM
Rockbridge County9.4%
Virginia6.0%
|
9.4% |
| 4:00-11:59 PM |
4:00-11:59 PM
Rockbridge County6.9%
Virginia5.7%
|
6.9% |
Rockbridge County Virginia Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates
The busiest time to head out in Rockbridge County is 7:30-7:59 AM, when 16.4% of commuters leave home, compared with 12.1% across Virginia. Early starts are about as common as in Virginia: 14.6% of commuters leave before 6 AM, versus 14.0% there. The morning rush looks much like Virginia's: 48.8% of departures fall in the two hours from 6:30 to 8:29 AM, versus 47.5% there. About 1 in 4 commuters (25.9%) 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 Rockbridge 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 Rockbridge 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 Rockbridge County next to Virginia 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.
Show typical departure times by year
| Year | Rockbridge County | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 7:33 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2010 | 7:33 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2011 | 7:32 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2012 | 7:33 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2013 | 7:35 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2014 | 7:30 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:39 AM |
| 2015 | 7:29 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2016 | 7:29 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2017 | 7:30 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2018 | 7:28 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2019 | 7:38 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2020 | 7:46 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2021 | 7:42 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2022 | 7:40 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:37 AM |
| 2023 | 7:39 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:38 AM |
| 2024 | 7:39 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:38 AM |
In 2024, half of commuters in Rockbridge County were on the road by 7:39 AM, 6 minutes later than in 2009 (7:33 AM). The shift is sharper than across Virginia, where the typical start moved 3 minutes later. Commuters in Rockbridge County now leave at about the same time as the typical American commuter (7:38 AM).
How does Rockbridge County's commute time compare?
| Metric | Rockbridge County | Virginia | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Commute Time | 22.4 min | 23.2 min | 22.4 min |
| Departure Window | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM |
| Secondary Departure Window | 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM | 08:00 AM – 08:29 AM | 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM |
| Work From Home | 10.3% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Walked | 0.9% | 2.1% | 2.4% |
| Public Transit | 0.9% | 2.3% | 3.2% |
The average commute time in Rockbridge County is 22.4 minutes, shorter than the 23.2 minutes in Virginia.
0.9% commute by public transit, lower than the 2.3% in Virginia. 0.9% commute by walking, lower than the 2.1% in Virginia.
Rockbridge County, VA Commute Compared With Nearby Counties
Rockbridge County, VA is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 22,531 residents against a local median of 31,478. Rockbridge County, VA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is work from home, 3% above the local median at 10.3% against 10.1%. Rockbridge County, VA has the 2nd highest work from home of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | One-way commute | Work from home | Typical departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockbridge County, VA | 22,531 | 22.4 min #4/4 | 10.3% #2/4 | 7:39 AM #1/4 |
| Amherst County, VA | 31,478 | 21.9 min | 10.1% | 7:41 AM |
| Bath County, VA | 4,100 | 13.2 min | 3.6% | 7:42 AM |
| Botetourt County, VA | 34,003 | 22.4 min | 12.6% | 7:40 AM |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about commuting in Rockbridge County, Virginia.
Is commuting expensive in Rockbridge County, Virginia?
Commuters here spend an estimated 187 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $5,795 at a typical national wage. That's 3% less than the typical Virginia commuter spends.
What time should you leave for work to avoid traffic in Rockbridge County, Virginia?
Traffic peaks between 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Leaving before or after this window is the single easiest way to avoid the heaviest local congestion, though 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM also sees a secondary bump.
Which counties in Virginia have the fastest and slowest commutes?
Among counties in Virginia, the shortest average commutes are in Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min). The longest are in Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).