Longer commute to work is becoming a norm

Commutes of over an hour to reach the office are becoming increasingly common as higher housing costs are driving people farther away from expensive cities.

The option of hybrid work is making super commutes—travels of 75 miles or longer—easier for employees because they don’t have to report to work every day.

According to research by Stanford University, longer journeys to work have increased by a third since 2020.

The study examined 2 million morning commutes and found that travels involving 50-74 miles rose 18%, and those of 75 miles and up rose 32% from 2019-2024. Shorter commutes under 35 miles have decreased.

Cities like Washington, DC, New York City, Phoenix and Dallas have seen the biggest rise in long journeys.

Some employers are helping by offering vanpools, like Inteplast Group, which provides a van service for employees commuting up to 110 miles.

While suburban living has been growing for decades, the recent pandemic-driven shift to remote work has caused the change.

Between 2021 and 2023, 1.9 million people moved out of 56 major US metro areas, finds public policy firm Wendell Cox.