Traffic in Montebello. Los Angeles Almanac Photo.
The average Los Angeles County commuter spends about five days of their life sitting in traffic each year.
The U.S. Census estimated that, in 2024, just under seven percent of Los Angeles County workers, age 16-plus, worked outside the county. About a third of a percent worked outside the state.
| Means of Commuting | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Total Workers | 4,834,507 | 100.0% | 4,780,680 | 100.0% | 4,399,339 | 100.0% | 3,858,750 | 100.0% |
| Commuters | 2,266,301 | 46.9% | 4,396,232 | 92.0% | 4,198,889 | 95.4% | 3,724,107 | 96.5% |
| Means of Commuting | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Commuted by Car, truck, or van | 1,688,798 | 34.9% | 3,902,247 | 81.6% | 3,671,019 | 83.4% | 3,296,964 | 85.4% |
| Drove alone | 1,451,745 | 30.0% | 3,449,024 | 72.1% | 3,173,055 | 72.1% | 2,714,944 | 70.4% |
| Carpooled | 237,053 | 4.9% | 453,223 | 9.5% | 497,964 | 11.3% | 582,020 | 15.1% |
| In 2-Person Carpool | 170,110 | 3.5% | 340,432 | 7.1% | 385,482 | 8.8% | 436,478 | 11.3% |
| In 3-Person Carpool | 38,220 | 0.8% | 66,252 | 1.4% | 68,717 | 1.6% | 89,802 | 2.3% |
| In 4-or-More-Person Carpool | 28,723 | 0.6% | 46,539 | 1.0% | 43,765 | 1.0% | 55,740 | 1.4% |
| Means of Commuting | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Public Transportation (excluding taxi) | 102,034 | 2.1% | 257,977 | 5.4% | 311,701 | 7.1% | 250,834 | 6.5% |
| Bus | 88,813 | 1.8% | 213,338 | 4.5% | 283,961 | 6.5% | 234,662 | 6.1% |
| Subway or Elevated Rail | 6,832 | 0.1% | 27,072 | 0.6% | 2,450 | 0.1% | 6,200 | 0.2% |
| Long-Distance Train or Commuter Rail | 3,198 | 0.1% | 11,261 | 0.2% | 15,317 | 0.3% | 7,660 | 0.2% |
| Light Rail, Streetcar or Trolley | 1,850 | 0.04% | 4,982 | 0.1% | 9,647 | 0.2% | 1,946 | 0.1% |
| Ferryboat | 1,341 | 0.03% | 1,324 | 0.0% | 326 | 0.0% | 366 | 0.01% |
| Means of Commuting | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Bicycle | 4,874 | 0.1% | 32,169 | 0.7% | 32,423 | 0.7% | 24,015 | 0.6% |
| Walked | 60,136 | 1.2% | 123,965 | 2.6% | 125,816 | 2.9% | 113,004 | 2.9% |
| Taxicab, Motorcycle, or Other Means(3) | 45,482 | 0.9% | 79,874 | 1.7% | 57,930 | 1.3% | --- | --- |
| Taxicab(3) | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 3,257 | 0.1% |
| Motorcycle(3) | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 6,758 | 0.2% |
| Commuted by other means(3) | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 29,275 | 0.8% |
| Worked at Home | 364,977 | 7.5% | 384,448 | 8.0% | 200,450 | 4.6% | 134,643 | 3.5% |
(1) Census estimate calculated from data and surveys collected over a one-year period. The U.S. Census ceased collecting commuting data directly from decennial census respondants after 2000 and now uses annual statistical surveys.
(2) Decennial (every 10 years) Census count
(3) Commuting by taxicab, motorcycle and other means were combined under a single category for 2019 Census estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Travel Time to Work | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Workers Who Didn’t Work at Home | 4,137,155 | 100.0% | 4,396,232 | 100.0% | 4,198,889 | 100.0% | 3,724,107 | 100.0% |
| Less than 5 minutes | 53,500 | 1.3% | 52,123 | 1.2% | 68,759 | 1.6% | 57,417 | 1.5% |
| 5 to 9 minutes | 225,110 | 5.4% | 237,856 | 5.4% | 296,411 | 7.1% | 265,372 | 7.1% |
| 10 to 14 minutes | 411,165 | 9.9% | 444,776 | 10.1% | 488,395 | 11.6% | 447,538 | 12.0% |
| 15 to 19 minutes | 504,740 | 12.2% | 588,505 | 13.4% | 589,273 | 14.0% | 547,333 | 14.7% |
| Travel Time to Work | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| 20 to 24 minutes | 574,667 | 13.9% | 587,355 | 13.4% | 598,255 | 14.2% | 532,606 | 14.3% |
| 25 to 29 minutes | 250,147 | 6.0% | 242,364 | 5.5% | 231,165 | 5.5% | 210,383 | 5.7% |
| 30 to 34 minutes | 758,934 | 18.3% | 772,733 | 17.6% | 726,722 | 17.3% | 624,474 | 16.8% |
| 35 to 39 minutes | 122,647 | 3.0% | 128,104 | 2.9% | 115,460 | 2.7% | 106,670 | 2.9% |
| 40 to 44 minutes | 219,723 | 5.3% | 227,172 | 5.2% | 200,135 | 4.8% | 165,115 | 4.4% |
| Travel Time to Work | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| 45 to 59 minutes | 449,135 | 10.9% | 474,382 | 10.8% | 392,064 | 9.3% | 360,152 | 9.7% |
| 60 to 89 minutes | 402,481 | 9.7% | 466,067 | 10.6% | 364,470 | 8.7% | 283,292 | 7.6% |
| 90 or more minutes | 164,906 | 4.0% | 174,795 | 4.0% | 127,780 | 3.0% | 123,755 | 3.3% |
| Mean travel time to work (minutes) | 31.7 | --- | 31.7 | --- | 29.0 | --- | 29.4 | --- |
(1) Census estimate calculated from data and surveys collected over a one-year period. The U.S. Census ceased collecting commuting data directly from decennial census respondants after 2000 and now uses annual statistical surveys.
(2) Decennial (every 10 years) Census count
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Departure Time for Work | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Workers Who Didn’t Work at Home | 4,137,155 | 100.0% | 4,396,232 | 100.0% | 4,198,889 | 100.0% | 3,724,107 | 100.0% |
| 12:00am - 4:59am | 254,741 | 6.2% | 259,026 | 5.9% | 204,024 | 4.9% | 153,945 | 4.1% |
| 5:00am - 5:29am | 165,394 | 4.0% | 199,675 | 4.5% | 179,241 | 4.3% | 135,930 | 3.7% |
| 5:30am - 5:59am | 157,202 | 3.8% | 187,008 | 4.3% | 188,278 | 4.5% | 171,690 | 4.6% |
| 6:00am - 6:29am | 344,335 | 8.3% | 383,127 | 8.7% | 381,218 | 9.1% | 321,709 | 8.6% |
| Departure Time for Work | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| 6:30am - 6:59am | 283,273 | 6.8% | 316,481 | 7.2% | 347,269 | 8.3% | 345,747 | 9.3% |
| 7:00am - 7:29am | 547,543 | 13.2% | 608,318 | 13.8% | 598,802 | 14.3% | 536,571 | 14.4% |
| 7:30am - 7:59am | 366,884 | 8.9% | 393,104 | 8.9% | 429,757 | 10.2% | 495,569 | 13.3% |
| 8:00am - 8:29am | 565,534 | 13.7% | 570,694 | 13.0% | 518,485 | 12.3% | 433,720 | 11.7% |
| 8:30am - 8:59am | 270,373 | 6.5% | 272,470 | 6.2% | 256,107 | 6.1% | 221,227 | 5.9% |
| Departure Time for Work | 2024(1) | 2020(1) | 2010(1) | 2000(2) | ||||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| 9:00am - 9:59am | 401,831 | 9.7% | 419,201 | 9.5% | 363,335 | 8.7% | 289,034 | 7.8% |
| 10:00am - 10:59am | 173,498 | 4.2% | 177,204 | 4.0% | 160,260 | 3.8% | 127,074 | 3.4% |
| 11:00am - 11:59am | 80,258 | 1.9% | 73,523 | 1.7% | 65,648 | 1.6% | 52,994 | 1.4% |
| 12:00pm - 3:59pm | 302,029 | 7.3% | 293,065 | 6.7% | 270,235 | 6.4% | 231,923 | 6.2% |
| 4:00pm - 11:59pm | 224,260 | 5.4% | 243,336 | 5.5% | 236,230 | 5.6% | 206,974 | 5.6% |
(1) Census estimate calculated from data and surveys collected over a one-year period. The U.S. Census ceased collecting commuting data directly from decennial census respondants after 2000 and now uses annual statistical surveys.
(2) Decennial (every 10 years) Census count
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
