Ask HN: What is your commute like?
93 comments
London, UK
I live around 13Km (~8 miles) from the office. I need to walk 10m to one of the two near trains stations and then do 25m in train plus 20m walking.
I can also get a combination of tube and train, and that would be around 40m in total.
Driving would be around 50m / 1h, but no one would try to drive into Central London...
So, in the end, I am lucky, because in London if you have less than an hour of commute, you should be thankful...
I work in downtown Columbus, Ohio, USA and live 9 miles away from work. My commute is 20 minutes in peak traffic. Thing is I park in a garage that's a block away from my office and by the time I take the stairs to the ground floor of the garage (I usually park on the sixth floor), walk the block to the building and then take the elevator to the 25th floor I've added another 10-15 minutes. So it's 30-35 minutes total for me.
I'm in the Seattle area and my commute is about 6 miles. The walk to the bus stop and subsequent bus ride takes about 30 to 40 minutes each way.
I walk about an hour and 15 minutes each way. This will turn into no commute when I stop being homeless and have internet at home.
Amsterdam, NL. Office is 4.5 kilometers from home (route according to Google Maps). About 15 minutes by bicycle.
I work from home in Toronto, Canada.
My worst commute ever was from northern San Jose to a job in downtown San Francisco. First by car early in the morning to the end of the east-side BART line, and then BART to SF. I forget how long it took. 90 minutes? Two hours? Plus I had to get to the station really early or the available parking would be gone. And on the way back the highway was just a crawl.
Complete insanity.
The only way I can see an SJ-SF commute being reasonable is if you both live and work close to a Caltrain station.
Complete insanity.
The only way I can see an SJ-SF commute being reasonable is if you both live and work close to a Caltrain station.
Buffalo, NY - Office is 5 miles away; takes 10 minutes to drive it at 5:30am and about 12 minutes on my way home at 1:30pm. I'd bike it, but day light is slim at 5:30am and you never know who is just getting home from work at that time and isn't really paying attention / the roads I take to get there are pretty commercial (trucks and such)
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I live in a midwest city of about 120k. Office is 2 miles away, takes 5 minutes to drive downtown and 3 minutes to walk in from the lot.
If you wanted to cycle, which would take perhaps 12 minutes, would it be reasonable to do so? That is, is a reasonable route permitted, and would you feel safe using it?
Ditto for walking, it should be 30-40 minutes, depending on your pace.
Ditto for walking, it should be 30-40 minutes, depending on your pace.
Yes, cycling is 11-12 minutes there at an easy pace and 16 back due to elevation. Sadly, my bike was stolen in 2015 and I haven't settled on a replacement yet.
Walking is about 30 minutes for me both ways, but I would rather have the option to leave later in the morning and go home for lunch. That said, it's a lovely way to start the morning, so I hope to walk more once the wind chill eases up a few degrees!
Either way, I'd be going through high-crime areas, but I feel very safe.
Walking is about 30 minutes for me both ways, but I would rather have the option to leave later in the morning and go home for lunch. That said, it's a lovely way to start the morning, so I hope to walk more once the wind chill eases up a few degrees!
Either way, I'd be going through high-crime areas, but I feel very safe.
I live near Old Street in London, UK. I walk 20 minutes to work and 20 minutes back.
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Paris, France - Office is in New York, so I walk about 3 feet to my computer and remote-login.
Boston, MA - Office is 8 miles from my home. I drive during morning and afternoon rush hour, 25 minutes to work, and 45 minutes from work.
12 min down a single road then park just inside city center. I work right next to the lot so I just walk straight over. No traffic. I like it. Bellevue WA I live in Bellevue as well.
Prince Edward Island, Canada – I live about a 3-minute-walk away from the office.
Washington, DC; just under 3 miles (just over 4.5 kilometers). I take the bus, about 30 minutes door to door, or (about three times a week) walk, roughly an hour depending on the route.
Denver, CO - Office (Downtown by Coors Field) is 1.2 miles from my apartment. I either walk to work, or my girlfriend drops me off sometimes. Denver has a free metro bus that goes up and down 18th/19th street. If I'm lucky I can catch it at and cut 5-10 minutes off my walk. Sometimes there isn't one there, and I just walk the whole way. If I do that it takes 20-25 minutes, but is nice and easy.
Denver seemed like a pretty cool city, from all 2 days that I spent there 10 years ago. Pretty vibrant downtown for a city of its size, and presumably awesome skiing/hiking/anything outdoors right outside the city.
Once you factor in salary and cost of living, how would you say Denver stacks up compared to NYC or SF?
Once you factor in salary and cost of living, how would you say Denver stacks up compared to NYC or SF?
I grew up in Pennsylvania, and Denver is my first place outside of there. Housing is expensive, but not near NYC/SF expensive. The tech scene is growing, but clearly isn't as big either. Overall, I really like Denver, and I'm happy with my choice. I wouldn't be opposed to trying a different city though, since I've only lived in two places.
Atlanta, GA, 17 miles, 30-60 minutes each way with an average of 45 during the school year and 35 during the summer.
7-10 minutes from home. Best commute of in my entire life so far.
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Northwest Arkansas - The office is about 28 miles from my house, 40 minutes drive in low to moderate traffic. My previous job was much closer, 4-5 miles from my house, but refused to pay me the median salary for my job description. With my current job, I was able to negotiate an office start/end time that avoided peak traffic times and regularly work from home.
Tempe, AZ - Office is just under 2 miles from my house. I usually bike, which takes ~10 (leisurely) minutes.
The heat can be a problem in the summer, but if I offset to go earlier in the morning and return earlier in the day, I can ensure I'll be sweaty at home in the evening, rather than at work at the start of the day.
The heat can be a problem in the summer, but if I offset to go earlier in the morning and return earlier in the day, I can ensure I'll be sweaty at home in the evening, rather than at work at the start of the day.
I grab a cup of coffee on my way to my basement.
I live and work in Redwood City, CA, USA. I live 1.2 miles from work. It's a 6-8 minute bike ride, which I prefer, but I usually drive my wife to the train station, which is a block from where I work, and then I drive the rest of the way to work, which takes me about 9 minutes total.
Boston, MA -- 10 miles each way, and 95% of that's on a bike path. By bicycle, 35-40 minutes each way, up to an hour in heavy snow / poor road conditions. By motorcycle, anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on route and traffic. By train, 12 minutes.
43 miles away, through rural country roads in Gloucestershire, UK. It's a contracting gig so tolerable, but i'm looking forward to cutting it down again.
Was awful until a couple of weeks ago as it was dark when I left and when I got home. It's now light both ends and the countryside looks beautiful.
Was awful until a couple of weeks ago as it was dark when I left and when I got home. It's now light both ends and the countryside looks beautiful.
London, UK.
I'm a contractor so my commute varies based on my current client. At the moment I'm about 4.5km from the clients office, which I cycle in about 15 minutes (13-17 depending on traffic + lights).
I'm a contractor so my commute varies based on my current client. At the moment I'm about 4.5km from the clients office, which I cycle in about 15 minutes (13-17 depending on traffic + lights).
When I'm home, it's a 25 min drive or 1:15 bike ride.
When I travel, it depends. Right now, my client is a 3:35 flight and drive. I get a lot done during that time.
When I travel, it depends. Right now, my client is a 3:35 flight and drive. I get a lot done during that time.
Toronto
Subway (two lines). 30 mins door to door assuming no subway outages.
Subway (two lines). 30 mins door to door assuming no subway outages.
Berkeley CA to downtown SF, 7 min walk to BART, 30 min on BART, 5 min walk to work
Copenhagen, Denmark. 3.5km from home to office. I usually cycle (~15 minutes, including walking up/down stairs and unlocking the bike). If I don't like the weather, I take a bus, which is under 20 minutes, including waiting and walking to the stop. The bus has its own lane for almost the entire route.
Karlsruhe, Germany. ~5 min walk.
cincinnati ohio, live downtown, work in suburb 18 miles of highway driving each way, ~20 mins. arrive to work ~7:30am and leave ~4:30pm to avoid traffic. live at intersection of two highways which are equidistant to work and can route accordingly, except tuesdays, when i drop off and pick up my laundry. enjoy the commute because it gives me time to think.
Madrid, Spain – I live around 5km (3.1mi) from my office, it's usually around 10-15 minutes in public transport (bus and subway)
For almost two years I worked in Ann Arbor, Michigan while living in Saginaw, about 93 miles, and a two-hour drive most of the time due to traffic in some areas. I managed this by doing a weekly commute instead of a daily commute, couch-surfing with friends living nearby for 2-3 nights, and working 1-2 days a week telecommuting.
I just relocated to Ypsilanti MI, and now my commute is more like 20 minutes or less. But it is still kind of disturbing: I avoid surface streets due to traffic, but traffic on I-94 is very heavy and is often slowed or stopped, so it is a little harrowing, even trying to avoid peak commute hours.
These corridors would be so much better if (1) we had a decent rail infrastructure and so the roads were not so heavily traversed by freight-carrying trucks, and (2) we had some kind of decent passenger rail. A mini-BART-like system that gets around Washtenaw county would be so great.
For many years I worked different jobs at the University of Michigan and other companies in Ann Arbor and lived close enough to my jobs to walk or bike daily, which was great. That really isn't a possibility for me anymore.
I just relocated to Ypsilanti MI, and now my commute is more like 20 minutes or less. But it is still kind of disturbing: I avoid surface streets due to traffic, but traffic on I-94 is very heavy and is often slowed or stopped, so it is a little harrowing, even trying to avoid peak commute hours.
These corridors would be so much better if (1) we had a decent rail infrastructure and so the roads were not so heavily traversed by freight-carrying trucks, and (2) we had some kind of decent passenger rail. A mini-BART-like system that gets around Washtenaw county would be so great.
For many years I worked different jobs at the University of Michigan and other companies in Ann Arbor and lived close enough to my jobs to walk or bike daily, which was great. That really isn't a possibility for me anymore.
Boulder, CO.
Live in a neighboring town. 12 mile commute that usually takes me 15mins driving or 30 mins on my bike.
Oakland to SF, Lyft, ~20 mins each way.
I live in metro St. Louis, and live about 32 miles from work. Takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, each way.
I live in the Chicago suburbs. My office is about 40 miles from my house and I take the train. All in my commute is about 1.5 hours each way. It isn't bad because I bring my laptop and work on side projects during that time on the train.
I lived twenty minutes south of downtown Los Angeles in the South Bay, i.e. Redondo Beach/Torrance. I drove 15 minutes to work in Torrance from South Redondo Beach. A couple of the younger guys rode their bikes.
I get up, walk downstairs, get on my bicycle and I get tired after a while and get a coffee. Then I finish listening to my podcast and go home. Sit behind my computer all day and feel sorry for myself. %repeat%
I live in New Hampshire and walk 50 steps around the side of the house before sunrise to a small shed that I turned into a wifi + power-equipped cabin with a big window overlooking a lake. Best commute ever. I'm no longer jealous watching birds walk around in the grass while I'm stuck in traffic doing a job that only a robot should be doing (driving). Now I enjoy the company of wildlife (there's a family of gofers nesting under the shed), watch loons and red-tailed hawks and woodpeckers and take frequent walks outside to think.
Nice. My the new office I’m building in the basement will overlook my “back yard” - about 4 acres of trees at the top of a hill so I have a nice view of the valley below.
What do you do for work? Are you self-employed? Work remotely?
I'm self-employed. I've been running a small business for the past five years (with a partner) and we have a small globally-distributed team (5 people total). We build, support, and sell commercial (and free) open-source WordPress plugins.
While it's awesome making a living working on open-source software, the business side of things is no longer fun or challenging for me, so I'm in the process of transitioning to something else, namely more of what I love: writing and publishing.
While it's awesome making a living working on open-source software, the business side of things is no longer fun or challenging for me, so I'm in the process of transitioning to something else, namely more of what I love: writing and publishing.
Seattle area (6 miles commute): 15-25 minutes door to door on a car. 1.5 hours by bus.
WFH for HashiCorp now, so 0 commute time! \o/
Prior to that I bike commuted probably 4/5ths of the time for 6 years in Portland, OR. Commute time was generally 30-45 minutes to go 4-5 miles each way. Quite pleasant most of the year, but Jan-Mar were awful. Employers always provided a place to lockup bikes otherwise it would have been a non-starter.
The other 1/5th of the time would be by public transit when I lived close to that, and then car pooling with a coworker when I didn't. I think I drove my own car to work perhaps a dozen times in 6 years.
I'd estimate biking added 10-15 minutes each way over driving, but that may not be true now that traffic has gotten more congested in Portland.
(While 0 commute time is nice, I was in far better shape when I was commuting!)
Prior to that I bike commuted probably 4/5ths of the time for 6 years in Portland, OR. Commute time was generally 30-45 minutes to go 4-5 miles each way. Quite pleasant most of the year, but Jan-Mar were awful. Employers always provided a place to lockup bikes otherwise it would have been a non-starter.
The other 1/5th of the time would be by public transit when I lived close to that, and then car pooling with a coworker when I didn't. I think I drove my own car to work perhaps a dozen times in 6 years.
I'd estimate biking added 10-15 minutes each way over driving, but that may not be true now that traffic has gotten more congested in Portland.
(While 0 commute time is nice, I was in far better shape when I was commuting!)
Seattle, working & living in SLU.
20-25 minute walk or 8 minute bicycle ride (when it's not raining).
I also WFH about once a week.
20-25 minute walk or 8 minute bicycle ride (when it's not raining).
I also WFH about once a week.
17 years ago I worked in santa clara, lived 7 miles away in milpitas. It took me 1h15m to get to/from work.
These days, I walk downstairs to the kitchen and turn right into the office. I am, however, about to double my commute. This office is sometimes hard to work from when there is lots happening, so I’m building an office in the basement to stay away from the chaos.
These days, I walk downstairs to the kitchen and turn right into the office. I am, however, about to double my commute. This office is sometimes hard to work from when there is lots happening, so I’m building an office in the basement to stay away from the chaos.
Dublin, Ireland - office is ~ 7km away.
Commute comprises one of the following:
- cycle for 25mins via a mix of on-road cycle lanes and dedicated cycle lane.
- tram for 10 mins + cycle (utilising the public DublinBikes service) for 20 mins
- tram for 35 mins + 15-10 mins walk (usually reserved for when it's really wet).
Driving is probably in the region of 60-90 minutes (I don't even bother).
Bus is ~ 60-65 mins mostly because we don't have dedicated bus lanes for the whole length of my commute so traffic is a factor (having to transfer also has an impact).
Walking is ~ 90mins depending on route chosen (traffic lights / road crossing delays have a considerable impact on total time).
Cycling in Dublin is by far the quickest way to get around during peak traffic times since the majority of the city is made up of single lane (per direction) streets and far too many people try and drive single occupancy vehicles into / through the city. Infrastructure is OK (lagging behind London with it's progress with cycle highways) with a city council focused on moving the most amount of people through the city quickly and efficiently (retailers and public opinion are resisting this push despite it being the right strategy in the longer run).
Many people think it rains too much in Dublin for walking / cycling to be a reasonable option but the data indicates people's perception are far off the mark (5-10 days/year where it's proper wet and full-on wetgear is required).
Commute comprises one of the following:
- cycle for 25mins via a mix of on-road cycle lanes and dedicated cycle lane.
- tram for 10 mins + cycle (utilising the public DublinBikes service) for 20 mins
- tram for 35 mins + 15-10 mins walk (usually reserved for when it's really wet).
Driving is probably in the region of 60-90 minutes (I don't even bother).
Bus is ~ 60-65 mins mostly because we don't have dedicated bus lanes for the whole length of my commute so traffic is a factor (having to transfer also has an impact).
Walking is ~ 90mins depending on route chosen (traffic lights / road crossing delays have a considerable impact on total time).
Cycling in Dublin is by far the quickest way to get around during peak traffic times since the majority of the city is made up of single lane (per direction) streets and far too many people try and drive single occupancy vehicles into / through the city. Infrastructure is OK (lagging behind London with it's progress with cycle highways) with a city council focused on moving the most amount of people through the city quickly and efficiently (retailers and public opinion are resisting this push despite it being the right strategy in the longer run).
Many people think it rains too much in Dublin for walking / cycling to be a reasonable option but the data indicates people's perception are far off the mark (5-10 days/year where it's proper wet and full-on wetgear is required).
I'm a nomad (I change country, city, job, everything about every 2 years).
Since my moving around the globe is work-driven (I find a job in a new place and move there), when I arrive in a new city I usually look for a place at most 40 mins public transportation from the office.
I'm not a fan of cars: I find them quite inefficient and the idea of driving my butt everyday to and from work fighting with traffic doesn't sounds much appealing when I can doze off on a train :D
currently living in London: 25-30 mins door to door and 1 tube change.
currently living in London: 25-30 mins door to door and 1 tube change.
~35 minutes. I barely notice it most days because I'm usually reading or listening to a podcast. It's also vastly superior to the 90 min drive I used to have.
Despite having the same job since late 2014 my commute sure has changed a lot... Office was originally in Seattle, I've been moving around on the eastside between Redmond/Renton(south side)/Bellevue and now the office is in Bellevue. At first it was ~10 minute drive to a park and ride (or sometimes unofficially WageWorks' parking lot across the street when the p&r was full, or MS's underground parking, depending on which p&r I went to...) followed by ~25-45 mins (again depending on p&r on the bus, but the shorter one almost always meant no seat). Saved me from the 520 toll, which at a previous job was absent and then a reasonable fee at the beginning but I always took the non toll bridge home.
Anyway at my current job my whole team became remote so I just started working from home, and that lasted for a little over two years and a couple moves. It's nice rolling out of my bed and slumping over to the next room to begin the day though. When I was in Renton for a year, just driving to work took ~45 minutes, I never tried taking the bus since that would have easily taken at least 90 minutes and that would be after driving 10-20 mins to a p&r likely to be full. Renton wasn't great for going out. My housemate worked in Bellevue at the time, and the new toll lanes on I-405 screwed him (and everyone really) over. Still causes traffic problems today I think. It was bad enough he wouldn't leave the house until 10 or 11am and not come home until past 7pm and the traffic still wasn't great.
Moved back to Bellevue a year ago, and while I still worked from home at least I could get to the office reasonably quickly again via going to a p&r and taking a short 20-30 minute bus ride, or drive if I had to. (Paying for parking sucks.) The office moved to Bellevue in January and I started coming in again, alternating carpooling with my housemate (he gets free parking) & taking the bus. Still 20 mins at the right time or 45+ respectively.
Just wrapped up another move and now I'm a short 7 minute drive away, or 5 mins of walking plus a 12-15 min bus ride and another 4 mins. When it's warmer I can probably walk the whole way in ~45 mins.
Anyway at my current job my whole team became remote so I just started working from home, and that lasted for a little over two years and a couple moves. It's nice rolling out of my bed and slumping over to the next room to begin the day though. When I was in Renton for a year, just driving to work took ~45 minutes, I never tried taking the bus since that would have easily taken at least 90 minutes and that would be after driving 10-20 mins to a p&r likely to be full. Renton wasn't great for going out. My housemate worked in Bellevue at the time, and the new toll lanes on I-405 screwed him (and everyone really) over. Still causes traffic problems today I think. It was bad enough he wouldn't leave the house until 10 or 11am and not come home until past 7pm and the traffic still wasn't great.
Moved back to Bellevue a year ago, and while I still worked from home at least I could get to the office reasonably quickly again via going to a p&r and taking a short 20-30 minute bus ride, or drive if I had to. (Paying for parking sucks.) The office moved to Bellevue in January and I started coming in again, alternating carpooling with my housemate (he gets free parking) & taking the bus. Still 20 mins at the right time or 45+ respectively.
Just wrapped up another move and now I'm a short 7 minute drive away, or 5 mins of walking plus a 12-15 min bus ride and another 4 mins. When it's warmer I can probably walk the whole way in ~45 mins.
Seattle: Live 2 miles from work. Walk most days (45 minutes), which is longer than taking the bus (20 minutes). Usually take the bus if I'm tired or not trying to stand around in the rain.
I walk about 25 steps to get from my bed to my office. I used to take the train into NYC from SE Brooklyn which took anywhere from 35 minutes to 2 hours.
Brooklyn, NY. About a 15 minute walk to my office, or if the weather is bad, around the same amount of time by bus. Biking is about 5 minutes.
I live in Palo Alto and commute to San Francisco three days a week. It's a little over an hour, bike<->train<->bike, each way. It's actually quite pleasant; I tether the phone to the laptop. In extenuating circumstances, it's an hour-long drive through traffic. I HATE the drive.
Right now I get in a car and drive about 3 miles. It takes 8 or so minutes. I would love to bike but there are some places between our office and my house that are not biker friendly.
Before that I telecommuted.
Before that I drove 5 miles but it was city driving (Waltham, MA just outside of Boston) so it took a half hour some days.
Before that I lived in Boston and commuted to Lexington, MA using public transportation and it was a half hour on the subway and a half hour on the bus each way.
Before that I telecommuted.
Before that I drove 5 miles but it was city driving (Waltham, MA just outside of Boston) so it took a half hour some days.
Before that I lived in Boston and commuted to Lexington, MA using public transportation and it was a half hour on the subway and a half hour on the bus each way.
I'm a contractor, two days a week in my client's office, three days a week at home. 3 hour drive to work on a Monday morning, 3 hour drive home on a Tuesday evening. It's not ideal, but it's interesting work.
I freelance from Upstate NY, my office is in my Basement. My clients are mostly in NYC and SF.
My favorite commute was when I lived in SF and worked about a mile from the office. I used to ride my bike everyday, some how it felt like a downhill ride each way.
Was a great way to get ready for the work day in the morning, and clear my mind on the way home.
My favorite commute was when I lived in SF and worked about a mile from the office. I used to ride my bike everyday, some how it felt like a downhill ride each way.
Was a great way to get ready for the work day in the morning, and clear my mind on the way home.
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Tampere, Finland. 2.5km. 20-25min walk. A bit less on a bicycle.
My office is across the hall from my bedroom.
North suburbs of Atlanta, GA; 17 miles, about 40 minutes on average. It's probably shorter in the summer - Atlanta traffic is notoriously more clogged when kids are in school - but my department moved to our current location when the school year was starting so I haven't seen that summer difference yet.
I find this superior to my previous commute (which was similar time, shorter distance, bus-to-BART in San Francisco) but feel guilty about it. I like not being so reliant on a car but Atlanta doesn't exactly make that easy.
I find this superior to my previous commute (which was similar time, shorter distance, bus-to-BART in San Francisco) but feel guilty about it. I like not being so reliant on a car but Atlanta doesn't exactly make that easy.
I live in Rural New York State and my commute is the 5 steps it takes to go from my bed to my desk. But, I've had a number of commuting situations over the years.
The worst commute I ever had was the 45 minute to 1 hour drive down 30 miles of two lane state road. Cars tend to clump, so unless you're lucky, you wind up behind 3-4 other cars. This makes passing a lesson in futility, not to mention dangerous.
The best commute I ever had was the 30 minute motorcycle ride from a house in the Presidio to an office in SoMa. The ride was always fun and short enough that I never got sick of it. It also provided a daily structure and a minimum level of socialization that I currently lack working from home.
The worst commute I ever had was the 45 minute to 1 hour drive down 30 miles of two lane state road. Cars tend to clump, so unless you're lucky, you wind up behind 3-4 other cars. This makes passing a lesson in futility, not to mention dangerous.
The best commute I ever had was the 30 minute motorcycle ride from a house in the Presidio to an office in SoMa. The ride was always fun and short enough that I never got sick of it. It also provided a daily structure and a minimum level of socialization that I currently lack working from home.
I live in Newark, Delaware, USA and generally work in an office approximately 12 miles away (~19km) in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. I usually drive a car to and from work during rush hour which either requires using Interstate 95 or, when there's an accident, a series of smaller local highways. Travel time varies wildly from day-to-day, but in general the morning commute takes approximately 20 minutes while the evening commute takes about 30-45 minutes.
The layout of the roads, design of on-ramps and off-ramps, and very common merging and unmerging of major high-speed freeways and slower highways with traffic lights, sometimes with multiple others happening within just a few hundred yards, causes a lot of poor driving habits to build up. Drivers in the state are very greedy about their position "in line" and will tailgate aggressively to prevent traffic from merging more gracefully. It infuriates drivers behind me that i always leave an adequate amount of space between my car and the one ahead of me, especially if an on-ramp is coming up to merge. The radio calls these "volume delays" but they are more accurately called "asshole delays."
The layout of the roads, design of on-ramps and off-ramps, and very common merging and unmerging of major high-speed freeways and slower highways with traffic lights, sometimes with multiple others happening within just a few hundred yards, causes a lot of poor driving habits to build up. Drivers in the state are very greedy about their position "in line" and will tailgate aggressively to prevent traffic from merging more gracefully. It infuriates drivers behind me that i always leave an adequate amount of space between my car and the one ahead of me, especially if an on-ramp is coming up to merge. The radio calls these "volume delays" but they are more accurately called "asshole delays."
1 hour 15 minutes each way, but you know what -- I don't mind. I get to live in a beautiful city along the coast in Massachusetts, and commute to a job I love in downtown Boston.
1 hour of that commute is on the commuter train, during which I work for part of and read or watch shows during the other. It also means my in-office hours are 9:15 - 4:15 since I finish the rest of my work on the train.
I tried working at home for three years and hated it. Even though I consider myself to be more on the introverted side, I got quite lonely in an empty house all day, and find it much more exciting to be at an office.
For what it's worth I previously had a job where I drove an hour and 45 minutes twice a week and _hated_ that. I would never do this commute if I had to drive instead.
1 hour of that commute is on the commuter train, during which I work for part of and read or watch shows during the other. It also means my in-office hours are 9:15 - 4:15 since I finish the rest of my work on the train.
I tried working at home for three years and hated it. Even though I consider myself to be more on the introverted side, I got quite lonely in an empty house all day, and find it much more exciting to be at an office.
For what it's worth I previously had a job where I drove an hour and 45 minutes twice a week and _hated_ that. I would never do this commute if I had to drive instead.
Corona to Anaheim, CA. Hour each way, ~30 miles. The 91 is the only freeway that clogged at 6am.
My office is in the city center, about 6 kilometers (4 miles) from my apartment. A tram line connects both of them about as directly as possible, so I can reach work in 20 minutes and read the newspaper or catch up with HN and Slack while doing so.
Zurich, Switzerland. Approx. 8km, takes ~25min by train, ~45min by tram. Sometimes plus 5 minutes to visit Starbucks :)
No more Seattle commute for me...
I live on Whidbey Island, in Puget Sound. 0 commute. My office looks out over Admiralty Inlet and the Olympic Mountains.
It's a 20-minute walk into our tiny town center, 4 minutes down to the beach.
I've been mostly telecommuting since 2008.
I live on Whidbey Island, in Puget Sound. 0 commute. My office looks out over Admiralty Inlet and the Olympic Mountains.
It's a 20-minute walk into our tiny town center, 4 minutes down to the beach.
I've been mostly telecommuting since 2008.
Moscow, 30-40 min via subway, 14km. Wish I lived at a bikeable distance, but the apartment prices in the city center are insane.
I had a few different commutes in my life.
Once I worked in a company 20km away and had to drive 45min by bus through the countryside every day. It was especially bad in summer, when the bus was full and I had to stand the whole time between sweaty people. Then I arrived at one side of the city and had to "climb" to the top of the hill on the other side of the city.
Then I worked at a hospital, but it was in the woods outside of the city, so I had to get there by bus, took 20min, so a bit better than the last job. Not much walking involved, but the busses were often rather cramped.
Later I moved into a bigger city and worked in a smaller city that was about 20km outside, but since it was a metropolitan area, I didn't have to drive by bus, just 10min train. Also, not much walking. I could get to the office between 10 and 11, so I didn't end up in full rush-hour trains.
Now I do contract work from home. Every other month or so I travel to customers for meetings, but most of them we do via Skype. All my customers were ~3 train hours away from me, so it wasn't much of a problem.
I also worked as a paper boy for 2 years, where the work included the commute, worst time ever :D
Once I worked in a company 20km away and had to drive 45min by bus through the countryside every day. It was especially bad in summer, when the bus was full and I had to stand the whole time between sweaty people. Then I arrived at one side of the city and had to "climb" to the top of the hill on the other side of the city.
Then I worked at a hospital, but it was in the woods outside of the city, so I had to get there by bus, took 20min, so a bit better than the last job. Not much walking involved, but the busses were often rather cramped.
Later I moved into a bigger city and worked in a smaller city that was about 20km outside, but since it was a metropolitan area, I didn't have to drive by bus, just 10min train. Also, not much walking. I could get to the office between 10 and 11, so I didn't end up in full rush-hour trains.
Now I do contract work from home. Every other month or so I travel to customers for meetings, but most of them we do via Skype. All my customers were ~3 train hours away from me, so it wasn't much of a problem.
I also worked as a paper boy for 2 years, where the work included the commute, worst time ever :D
for about 20 years, i lived and worked in the south bay/peninsula (SF bay area), and my commutes were between 12-20 miles. this realistically meant that i'd have a 30-45 minute drive to work, and 1-1.5 hour drive home. this meant i spent about 2 hours in the car each day, which wasn't actually "bad".
however, a couple of years back i quit my palo also startup job, moved to berkeley, and got a job in the CS research department at UC Berkeley.
this means i live 1.5 miles from work, and on nice days i walk (35 minutes), or take the bus (about the same as walking).
i gotta tell ya: i do not miss driving to work every day at all. :)
however, a couple of years back i quit my palo also startup job, moved to berkeley, and got a job in the CS research department at UC Berkeley.
this means i live 1.5 miles from work, and on nice days i walk (35 minutes), or take the bus (about the same as walking).
i gotta tell ya: i do not miss driving to work every day at all. :)
Atlanta suburbs - 18 miles. One hour if I leave at the wrong time. 40 minutes otherwise. I don't really think about it. It's a straight shot commute and I listen to podcasts to keep occupied.
Strangely enough, I missed the commute when I had a 15 minute commute to work and could work from home most of the time. Driving gives me a chance to decompress and not have to deal with people for a little while before getting home. I'm not naturally a people person and it's mentally draining having to act like I'm one for eight hours a day.
Strangely enough, I missed the commute when I had a 15 minute commute to work and could work from home most of the time. Driving gives me a chance to decompress and not have to deal with people for a little while before getting home. I'm not naturally a people person and it's mentally draining having to act like I'm one for eight hours a day.
3 miles, from Bernal Heights in SF to SoMa. 10 minutes on a motorcycle with moderate traffic.
São Paulo, Brazil. I live 7km away from my office.
Daily I walk for 25mins to the nearest train station, then after 4 stations (+10mins) I walk to the office (taking +10mins).
Usually it takes ~50-55min the total commute since the train does not always comes in the same time everyday, so delays are not so rare.
PS: there is a bike lane in several regions of São Paulo, so from my home to the office it would take up to 1hr of commute, using the bike lane all the path.
Daily I walk for 25mins to the nearest train station, then after 4 stations (+10mins) I walk to the office (taking +10mins).
Usually it takes ~50-55min the total commute since the train does not always comes in the same time everyday, so delays are not so rare.
PS: there is a bike lane in several regions of São Paulo, so from my home to the office it would take up to 1hr of commute, using the bike lane all the path.
I live in SF and freelance from home the majority of the time.
Side note: the commutes seem shorter then I expected. Is there a reporting bias with long Transit time people?
Side note: the commutes seem shorter then I expected. Is there a reporting bias with long Transit time people?
Lyon, France. About a 5km commute.
- Bike: about 15-20 minutes mostly on bike paths or dual use paths.
- Run: about 25 minutes but usually make it out to 50-60 minutes to get a more serious run in.
- Kick scooter: about 25 minutes.
- Mass transit: about 20-25 minutes by metro (subway) and then tram to a station about 500 meters from the office.
- Bike: about 15-20 minutes mostly on bike paths or dual use paths.
- Run: about 25 minutes but usually make it out to 50-60 minutes to get a more serious run in.
- Kick scooter: about 25 minutes.
- Mass transit: about 20-25 minutes by metro (subway) and then tram to a station about 500 meters from the office.
30 minutes door-to-door, with the middle 15 spent on a train. Planning to replace this with a 40-minute bike ride soon :)
Edinburgh. 20 minutes on a bus, and there are buses every five minutes.
I live in Brighton and work in London. I leave the house at 6h15 to be in for work at 9h00. I leave at 17h00 to get home by, around 19h35.
Many people had opinions based on their own commuting experiences, which made me wonder what different peoples commutes were like.
I'll start with mine: I live in Seattle, Washington, USA. My office is 13 miles (21 kilometers) from my home. I drive to work and travel time is about 40 minutes. I usual drive near peak traffic time.