The US City With the Longest Commute Time Is...

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Bad news for straphangers: according to a new University of Michigan study, New York's got the longest average commute in the nation. Come to think of it, this shouldn't really be news to anyone who's spent even a second on the NYC subway.

Authored by Dr. Michael Sivak, the U of M study examined 2013 Census Bureau data for the country's 30 largest cities, and looked specifically at the average age of commuters, the methods they used to get to work (car, public transportation, bike, walking), and how long it took them to get there. 

Turns out, the average commute in New York takes nearly 40 minutes, surpassing Chicago (33.7) and Philly (32) for the top spot on the podium of shame. As for the city with the speediest commute, Oklahoma City took that honor, clocking in at 20.7 minutes.

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Interestingly enough, the cities with the longest and shortest commute bore another parallel -- New York saw the highest amount of public transportation usage (56.7%), while Oklahoma City had the lowest (0.7%). In other words, even though you're saving the planet by taking a bus, you're totally ruining your morning in the process.

Dr. Sivak's study also revealed other noteworthy tidbits: Boston saw the highest percentage of people walking to work (14.5%), while Austin and Portland both had the most folks working from home (7.1%). Speaking of Portland, the fixie mecca also led the nation in commuting by bike -- even though, at 5.9%, that number seems like it should be way higher.

Here's the top 10 (or bottom 10, depending how you look at it):

10. Detroit (26.8)
9. San Jose (27.3)
8. Boston (29.5)
7. Washington, DC (29.9)
6. Los Angeles (29.9)
5. Baltimore (30.5)
4. San Francisco (31.5)
3. Philadelphia (32.0)
2. Chicago (33.7)
1. New York (39.7)


Gianni Jaccoma is a staff writer for Thrillist, and he’s spent half his life silently screaming on motionless NYC trains. Follow him to endless delays on Twitter @gjaccoma