TUCSON, AZ (December 11, 2025) — A new study by Yardi Kube places Tucson among the Top 5 U.S. Cities with the Best Commute, improving its average one-way travel time even as most major metros saw commutes lengthen in 2024.
Nationally, the average one-way commute rose to 27.2 minutes this year, up from 25.6 minutes in 2021 and nearly back to the 2019 pre-pandemic average of 27.6 minutes. Tucson, however, moved in the opposite direction. The metro had an average commute of 21.7 minutes, ranking No. 4 for the fastest commutes nationwide.
"Tucson’s commute is shorter than nearly every major metro in the country, reinforcing its strength as a livable, accessible city.”
Across the Western U.S., several metros also reported faster commute times than before the pandemic due to strong hybrid-work adoption. Oakland recorded the largest improvement, reducing its average by 3.2 minutes since 2019 — saving commuters roughly 27 hours annually. San Jose followed with a 3.0-minute reduction (25 hours saved per year), while San Francisco and Seattle each improved by 2.5 minutes (about 21 hours saved annually).
Cities with the Best Commute in the U.S. (2024)
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Tulsa, OK – 19.7 minutes
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Omaha, NE – 20.0 minutes
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Memphis, TN – 21.4 minutes
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Tucson, AZ – 21.7 minutes
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Kansas City, MO – 21.8 minutes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
By contrast, the longest commutes remain concentrated in large coastal metros, led by New York (40.6 minutes), Chicago (33.5), and Philadelphia (33.2).
Tucson’s strong performance highlights the region’s continued transportation efficiency and supports the metro’s growing reputation for livability and workforce accessibility.