Fact #390: September 19, 2005
Stretch Commuting
According to the latest National Household Travel Survey, about 3.3 million people travel 50 miles or more one-way to get to work. A commute of 50 miles or more is called a "stretch commute." Most stretch commute trips are 50-74 miles in length (one-way) in a personal vehicle. Over 80% of stretch commutes were made by males and nearly 60% by those with a household income over $50,000.
Statistics on Stretch Commuting


Supporting Information
| Percent of Stretch Commuting Trips | |
|---|---|
| Distance | |
| 50-74 miles | 62% |
| 75-99 miles | 19% |
| 100-124 miles | 7% |
| 125-199 miles | 6% |
| 200+ miles | 6% |
| Mode | |
| Personal vehicle | 96% |
| Air travel | 1% |
| Other | 3% |
| Gender | |
| Male | 84% |
| Female | 16% |
| Household income | |
| Less than $25,000 | 13% |
| $25,000 - $49,000 | 29% |
| More than $50,000 | 58% |
| Occupation | |
| Manufacturing/construction | 44% |
| Professional/managerial/technical | 40% |
| Sales/service | 13% |
| Clerical/administrative | 3% |
|
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics Press Release, May 12, 2004. | |
Return to 2005 Facts of the Week