National Household Travel Survey "Stretch Commute" Quick Facts
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
"Stretch Commute" trips are at least 50 miles one way.
Commuting in America
- In a year, 3.3 million Americans "stretch-commute"
- More than one out of 10 (13 percent) long-distance trips are for commuting
- Just over one out of five (22 percent) long distance trips between 50 and 99 miles are for commuting
How Far We Travel When Stretch Commuting
- About three out of five (62 percent) stretch commutes are 50-74 miles
- One out of five (19 percent) stretch commutes are 75-99 miles
- Less than one in 10 (7 percent) stretch commutes are 100-124 miles
- More than one out of 20 (6 percent) stretch commutes are 125-199 miles
- More than one out of 20 (6 percent) of stretch commutes are 200+ miles
How Often We Stretch Commute in a Four-Week Period
- Commuters who travel 50 to 99 miles one-way
- More than six out of 10 (65 percent) commute 16 or more days
- More than two out of 10 (25 percent) commute five to 15 days
- Just over one out of 10 (11 percent) commute one to four days
- Commuters who travel 100 to 199 miles one-way
- More than three out of 10 (33 percent) commute 16 or more days
- Almost three out of 10 (27 percent) commute five to 15 days
- Four out of 10 (40 percent) commute one to four days
- Commuters who travel 200 miles or more miles one-way
- More than one out of 10 (12 percent) commute 16 or more days
- More than two out of 10 (23 percent) commute five to 15 days
- More than six out of 10 (65 percent) commute one to four days
How We Stretch Commute
- 24 out of 25 (96 percent) stretch commutes are done by personal vehicle
- One out of 100 (1 percent) stretch commutes are done by air travel
- Air travel increases to almost one out of four (24 percent) when the stretch commute is 200+ miles
Who Stretch Commutes
- By Gender
- Fewer than one out of five (16 percent) stretch commuting trips are made by females
- 274 million stretch commuting trips are made by males
- By Income
- Almost three out five (58 percent) stretch commuting trips are made by individuals living in households with total incomes of $50,000 or more (43 percent of population)
- Almost one out of three (29 percent) stretch commuting trips are made by individuals living in households with total incomes of $25,000-49,000 (28 percent of population)
- More than one out of 10 (13 percent) stretch commuting trips are made by individuals living in households with total incomes of less than $25,000 (29 percent of population)
- By Occupation
- Almost half of (44 percent) stretch commuting trips are made by those in manufacturing/construction jobs (21 percent of population)
- Two out of every five (40 percent) stretch commuting trips are made by those in professional/managerial/technical jobs (39 percent of population)
- More than one out of 10 (13 percent) stretch commuting trips are made by those in sales/service jobs (28 percent of population)
- Less than one out of every 20 (3 percent) stretch commuting trips are made by those in clerical/administrative jobs (12 percent of population)
SOURCE: National Household Travel Survey, 2001-2002.