U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Office

Fact #760: December 31, 2012
Commuting to Work, 1960-2010

The share of workers who commute to work in private vehicles rose from 64% in 1960 to a high of 87.9% in 2000, but dropped slightly to 86.4% in 2010. The number of people who worked at home continued gaining in share in 2010 to 4.1%. However this number is still less than that reported in 1960.

Share of Commuters by Travel Type, 1960-2010Graphic showing share of commuters by travel type (private vehicle, public transportation, walked, other means, worked at home) for the years 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010. See table below for more detailed information.

Supporting Information

Share of Commuters by Travel Type, 1960-2010
Travel Type 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Private vehicle 64.0% 77.7% 84.1% 86.5% 87.9% 86.4%
Public Transportation 12.1% 8.9% 6.4% 5.3% 4.7% 5.1%
Walked 9.9% 7.4% 5.6% 3.9% 2.9% 2.8%
Other Means 6.8% 2.5% 1.6% 1.3% 1.2% 1.6%
Worked at Home 7.2% 3.5% 2.3% 3.0% 3.3% 4.1%
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Sources:
1980-1990 data – Provided by the Journey-to-Work and Migration Statistics Branch, Population Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census.
2000 data – U.S. Bureau of the Census, Journey to Work: 2000, Tables 1 and 2, 1990-2000, March 2004.
2010 data – U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2010 American Community Survey, Tables B08301 and S0802.
(Additional resources: U.S. Bureau of the Census)

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