Wisconsin Commute Time Map & Patterns

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You 8/20/26, 6:06 PM
How many minutes is the average drive to work in Wisconsin?
Map AI 8/20/26, 6:06 PM

Commute Time Burden in Wisconsin: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Wisconsin spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.

That is 16% less time on the road than the US average of 22.5 minutes each way, a difference of 3.7 minutes.

Wisconsin holds about 1.8% of US's population but accounts for roughly 1.5% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Wisconsin would save about 63 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $1,940 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)
Wisconsin 18.8 min 37.6 min 156 hrs/yr $4,851 811
US 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: Wisconsin Counties

Fastest commutes among counties in Wisconsin
  1. Ashland County (12.5 min)
  2. Door County (13.8 min)
  3. Eau Claire County (15.3 min)
Slowest commutes among counties in Wisconsin
  1. Oconto County (26.4 min)
  2. Pierce County (25.0 min)
  3. Columbia County (23.8 min)

Compare commute times among different counties

On average, it takes 18.8 minutes to get to work in Wisconsin. That's 16% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

Faster than 78% of states in US

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

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 11.6% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 83.0%
  • Worked at Home: 11.6%
  • Walked: 2.7%
  • Public Transportation: 1.2% unusually low
  • Other: 0.8%
  • Bicycle: 0.5%
  • Taxi: 0.2%
  • Motorcycle: 0.1%

Public Transportation commuting is unusually low in Wisconsin: 3.0 times less than the US average (1.2% vs 3.5%).

How does Wisconsin's commute time compare?

Metric Wisconsin US Average
Avg. Commute Time 18.8 min 22.5 min
Work From Home 11.6% 13.4%
Walked 2.7% 2.4%
Public Transit 1.2% 3.5%

The average commute time in Wisconsin is 18.8 minutes, shorter than the 22.5 minutes in US.

1.2% commute by public transit, lower than the 3.5% in US. 2.7% commute by walking, higher than the 2.4% in US.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Wisconsin.

How much does the average commute cost workers in Wisconsin?

Commuters here spend an estimated 156 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $4,851 at a typical national wage. That's 16% less than the typical US commuter spends.

When is rush hour worst in Wisconsin?

Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Wisconsin. 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.

How common is public transit use in Wisconsin?

Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 1.2% of commuters use it versus 3.5% in US, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.

Which counties in Wisconsin have the fastest and slowest commutes?

Among counties in Wisconsin, the shortest average commutes are in Ashland County (12.5 min), Door County (13.8 min), Eau Claire County (15.3 min). The longest are in Oconto County (26.4 min), Pierce County (25.0 min), Columbia County (23.8 min).