The Denver Case · Commute · Updated October 2026

How long is the commute in Denver?

The average one-way commute in metro Denver is 28.0 min, 8th of 13. That's shorter than in Nashville, Austin, Seattle, Boston and SF Bay Area.

28.0 min
Commute time
Shorter than Nashville, Austin, Seattle, Boston and SF Bay Area
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
21.1%
Work from home
#3 of 13 metros · U.S. 12.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
37 minutes
Airport to downtown by train
Source: Denver International Airport

Commute time

Average commute

Mean one-way travel time to work, minutes · Metro · 2025
Denver: #8 of 13 · shorter is better
Salt Lake City
24.5 min
Minneapolis
25.0 min
Portland
25.3 min
Raleigh
26.2 min
San Diego
26.3 min
U.S.
27.4 min
Phoenix
27.5 min
Charlotte
27.9 min
Denver
28.0 min
Nashville
28.2 min
Austin
29.6 min
Seattle
30.0 min
Boston
31.9 min
SF Bay Area
32.5 min
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 (table DP03)

Transit, remote work and traffic

21.1% of Denver workers work from home.

Commuters who take public transit

% of workers · Metro · 2025
Denver: #8 of 13 · higher is better
SF Bay Area
11.6%
Boston
10.5%
Seattle
7.3%
Portland
4.0%
U.S.
3.8%
Minneapolis
2.3%
San Diego
2.1%
Salt Lake City
2.1%
Denver
2.0%
Austin
1.3%
Charlotte
1.2%
Phoenix
1.0%
Nashville
0.7%
Raleigh
0.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 (table DP03)

Workers who work from home

% of workers · Metro · 2025
Bonus stat · not scored
Raleigh
22.8%
Austin
22.1%
Denver
21.1%
Seattle
18.2%
SF Bay Area
17.9%
Portland
17.7%
Phoenix
17.4%
Charlotte
17.3%
Minneapolis
17.0%
Nashville
17.0%
San Diego
16.1%
Salt Lake City
15.9%
Boston
15.8%
U.S.
12.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 (table DP03)

Hours lost to traffic per driver

INRIX, hours per year · Urban area · 2025
Bonus stat · not scored
Portland
41 hrs
Phoenix
42 hrs
Austin
46 hrs
Charlotte
48 hrs
SF Bay Area
49 hrs
U.S.
49 hrs
Denver
51 hrs
Nashville
65 hrs
Seattle
68 hrs
Boston
83 hrs
INRIX publishes only its 25 most congested U.S. areas, so four peers have no figure. With fewer than 10 metros covered, this is context, not scored. Denver's delay rose 16% from 2024.
No comparable figure published for Minneapolis, San Diego, Raleigh, Salt Lake City.
Source: INRIX 2025 Global Traffic Scorecard
37 minutes
From the airport to Union Station downtown on the A Line train.
Source: Denver International Airport (2016)
Why Denver comes out on top

Other cities have a best stat. Denver has the best record.

Every metro here has a standout stat. Denver's advantage is that it rarely trails: it finishes in the top nine of 13 on 38 of 42 measures (90%), more than any other metro, and near the bottom on just 4.

This page is one stat in that record. The full scorecard has all 42.

Denver
90%
Other 12, average
68%
Top fourMiddleBottom four

Share of all 42 scored measures in each band, among the 13 metros. The number is the top-nine share. See every metro →

Where Denver stands alone

#1 in the U.S.
For domestic nonstop destinations in 2025. DEN added a record 34 international destinations in 19 countries.
Source: Denver International Airport, 2025 milestones (2025)
3,880 sq mi
Of land above 10,000 feet within 100 miles of downtown, more than the other 12 metros combined.
Source: AWS Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP elevation), calculated for this site (USGS elevation, calculated Oct 2026)
1.75M
Concertgoers at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2025, the most of any amphitheater according to Pollstar.
Source: Denver Arts & Venues (2025)

Related

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Denver vs. other metros

All 12 matchups in one table →

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