Portage County Commute Time Map & Patterns

Help

Compare commute patterns and ask AI Map about Portage County.

Commute from My Address
You 8/20/26, 12:39 PM
How much time do drivers in Portage County spend on the road daily?
Map AI 8/20/26, 12:39 PM

Commute Time Burden in Portage County: Annual Hours and Cost

Commuters in Portage County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 133 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.

That is 15% less time on the road than the Wisconsin average of 18.8 minutes each way, a difference of 2.8 minutes.

Portage County holds about 1.2% of Wisconsin's population but accounts for roughly 1.0% of its total commuting time.

Working from home just 2 days a week in Portage County would save about 53 hours of drive time a year, worth roughly $1,655 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)
Portage County 16.0 min 32.0 min 133 hrs/yr $4,137 747
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 16.0 minutes to get to work in Portage County. That's 29% shorter than the 22.5-minute U.S. average.

Faster than 86% of counties in Wisconsin

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 11.5% work from home.

Commute mode distribution

  • Car: 82.4%
  • Worked at Home: 11.5%
  • Walked: 4.0%
  • Bicycle: 0.9%
  • Other: 0.7%
  • Public Transportation: 0.4% unusually low
  • Taxi: < 0.1%
  • Motorcycle: < 0.1%

Public Transportation commuting is unusually low in Portage County: 3.2 times less than the Wisconsin average (0.4% vs 1.2%).

How does Portage County's commute time compare?

Metric Portage County Wisconsin US Average
Avg. Commute Time 16.0 min 18.8 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 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM 07:30 AM – 07:59 AM
Work From Home 11.5% 11.6% 13.4%
Walked 4.0% 2.7% 2.4%
Public Transit 0.4% 1.2% 3.5%

The average commute time in Portage County is 16.0 minutes, shorter than the 18.8 minutes in Wisconsin.

0.4% commute by public transit, lower than the 1.2% in Wisconsin. 4.0% commute by walking, higher than the 2.7% in Wisconsin.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about commuting in Portage County, Wisconsin.

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

Commuters here spend an estimated 133 hours a year on the road, worth roughly $4,137 at a typical national wage. That's 15% less than the typical Wisconsin commuter spends.

When is rush hour worst in Portage County, Wisconsin?

Traffic peaks between 07:00 AM – 07:29 AM in Portage County, 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.

Do people use public transit in Portage County, Wisconsin?

Public transit usage is significantly lower here than typical: about 0.4% of commuters use it versus 1.2% in Wisconsin, meaning a personal vehicle is essential for most workers.

Where are the quickest and slowest commutes among 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).