Longest morning commutes: Where does Salt Lake City rank?

SALT LAKE CITY — A new study offers data that suggests that, annually, commuting in Salt Lake City takes up a significant amount of a driver’s time.  

Specifically, Utahns wait 59 hours in rush hour traffic per year. Put into perspective, that’s two-and-a-half days in traffic.

Researchers at CoPilot say they analyzed data from TomTom’s Traffic Index as well as the U.S. Census Bureau.

Reportedly, pre-pandemic-commute times were longer. And according to the study, over the course of a year, on average, workers saved nearly 17 hours in commute time during the pandemic.

Less than 3% of Americans are taking public transportation during their morning commutes the study points out. The CoPilot researchers said this contributes to a longer average commute time. 

However, despite Utah’s 59 hours in rush hour traffic per year, that wasn’t the longest time. It’s not even in the top 15 long wait times. The longest commute was in New York City (132 annual hours in traffic per driver), followed by Los Angeles (123 hours), and urban Honolulu (116 hours.)

The city with the least amount of time wasted in rush hour traffic is Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina. Drivers in that portion of the Tar Heel State waste just 26 hours in traffic annually.

Related reading

• UTA offering free or reduced fares in February
• Why some cars from the 1990s are soaring in value