It takes Charlotte drivers this long to get around. See your average commute time

With fewer COVID-related restrictions, more people are working in person, making the commute to work a little longer.

U.S Census Bureau data shows the average commute for motorists was a hair over 27 minutes one way pre-pandemic. Now, the commute time in Charlotte is reaching that record high.

According to a new report by Stacker, it takes Charlotte drivers about 24.5 minutes to commute to work, making it one of the cities with the worst commutes in North Carolina.

Stacker compiled the list using data from the Census Bureau. Charlotte ranked 14th on the list.

The report says it takes 21% of workers in the area under 15 minutes to commute, but it takes the majority, about 43% of people in Charlotte, 15 to 30 minutes. But for others, the drive time can take over an hour.

Concord, Belmont, Gastonia and Kannapolis also made the list averaging more than 24 minutes

Here’s where the local towns ranked on the list of cities with the worst commutes in the state:

1. Lumberton (average commute: 45.8 minutes)

2. Winston-Salem (average commute: 32.3 minutes)

3. High Point (average commute: 31.7 minutes)

4. Greensboro (average commute: 30.1 minutes)

5. Mebane (average commute: 29.4 minutes)

6. Monroe (average commute: 29 minutes)

7. Concord (average commute: 28.5 minutes)

8. Mount Holly (average commute: 28.3 minutes)

9. Belmont (average commute: 26.6 minutes)

10. Raleigh (average commute: 26 minutes)

11. Gastonia (average commute: 25.5 minutes)

12. Statesville (average commute: 25.4 minutes)

13. Kannapolis (average commute: 24.8 minutes)

14. Charlotte (average commute: 24.5 minutes)

15. Elizabeth City (average commute: 24.3 minutes)

16. Sanford (average commute: 24.3 minutes)

17. Graham (average commute: 24.2 minutes)

18. Archdale (average commute: 24.1 minutes)

19. Albemarle (average commute: 23.7 minutes)

20. Lenoir (average commute: 23.5 minutes)

21. Burlington (average commute: 23.4 minutes)

22. Eden (average commute: 23.3 minutes)

23. Salisbury (average commute: 22.9 minutes)

24. Shelby (average commute: 21.5 minutes)

25. Rocky Mount (average commute: 21.3 minutes)

This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 9:49 AM.

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription