Polk County Commute Time Map & Patterns

Help

Compare commute patterns and ask AI Map about Polk County.

Commute from My Address
You 8/20/26, 12:32 PM
Is the commute in Polk County longer than the national average?
Map AI 8/20/26, 12:32 PM

Commute Time Burden in Polk County: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Polk County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 194 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.

That is 24% more time on the road than the Wisconsin average of 18.8 minutes each way, a difference of 4.5 minutes.

Polk County holds about 0.8% of Wisconsin's population but accounts for roughly 0.9% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Polk County would save about 78 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $2,408 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 23.3 min 46.6 min 194 hrs/yr $6,019 429
Wisconsin 18.8 min 37.6 min 156 hrs/yr $4,851 811
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: 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 23.3 minutes to get to work in Polk County. That's 4% longer than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

Slower than 90% of counties in Wisconsin

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

Most people travel to work by Car , followed by Worked at Home . About 10.4% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 86.4%
  • Worked at Home: 10.4%
  • Walked: 2.2%
  • Other: 0.6%
  • Bicycle: 0.2%
  • Motorcycle: 0.1%
  • Public Transportation: < 0.1% unusually low
  • Taxi: < 0.1% unusually low

Public Transportation commuting is unusually low in Polk County: 19.4 times less than the Wisconsin average (0.1% vs 1.2%).

Taxi commuting is essentially absent in Polk County, versus 0.2% in Wisconsin.

How does Polk County's commute time compare?

Metric Polk County Wisconsin US Average
Avg. Commute Time 23.3 min 18.8 min 22.5 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 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home 10.4% 11.6% 13.4%
Walked 2.2% 2.7% 2.4%
Public Transit < 0.1% 1.2% 3.5%

The average commute time in Polk County is 23.3 minutes, longer than the 18.8 minutes in Wisconsin.

0.1% commute by public transit, lower than the 1.2% in Wisconsin. 2.2% commute by walking, lower than the 2.7% in Wisconsin.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Polk County, Wisconsin.

How much does the average commute cost workers in Polk County, Wisconsin?

Commuters here spend an estimated 194 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $6,019 at a typical national wage. That's 24% more than the typical Wisconsin commuter spends.

When is rush hour worst in Polk County, Wisconsin?

Traffic peaks between 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM in Polk County, Wisconsin. 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.

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

Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.1% of commuters use it versus 1.2% in Wisconsin, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.

How do commute times compare across counties in Wisconsin?

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).