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U.S. Census Bureau Releases County-to-County Commuting Flows

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The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data tables for county-to-county commuting flows.  This information is based on 2009 – 2013 American Communities Survey “journey to work” question.  Tables include worker flow counts and means of transportation, such as drove alone, carpool, transit, or other.  Rural regions near a metropolitan area may wish to use the metropolitan area indicator, which makes it possible for data users to sort and organize information by metropolitan area.

The Census Bureau also released a brief describing commuting behaviors: Who Drives to Work? Commuting by Automobile in the United States: 2013 (PDF), which finds that about 86 percent of U.S. workers drove to work in 2013, while 91 percent of nonmetro workers commuted by car.  In aggregate, this holds constant from 2006, when 87 percent of all workers commuted by car, including 90 percent of nonmetro workers.  However, for certain segments of the population, other modes did increase or decrease their share.

To access the commuting flows and for more information, visit: Commuting (Journey to Work) Main – People and Households – U.S. Census Bureau.

Although commute trips only represent a portion of trips made, this information is useful to transportation and regional planners to get a sense of how residents of the region travel and engage as workers in the region’s economy.

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