The average commuting time for workers in the City of St. Louis is 21.5 minutes, lower than the national average of 24.3 minutes in 2003, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau Wednesday.
The 21.5-minute commute tied St. Louis city with Tampa, Fla., for 43rd place of 68 large cities nationwide.
St. Charles County's average commute was 25.9 minutes, ranking it No. 78 among 233 counties nationwide and the only county in the area with a higher average than the national average.
Madison County, Ill., ranked No. 118 with a 23.4-minute average commute, St. Louis County ranked No. 147 with a 22.2-minute average commute, and St. Clair County, Ill., ranked No. 152 with a 21.7-minute commute. St. Louis city ranked No. 158 among counties with its 21.5-minute commute.
Missouri ranked No. 20 among 50 states and the District of Columbia for its 23.3-minute average commute, while Illinois ranked No. 5 with its 27-minute average commute.
The bureau said Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work every year.
Cities with the longest commute times were New York, with a 38.3-minute average commute; Chicago, with a 33.2-minute average commute; Newark, N.J.; Riverside, Calif.; Philadelphia; and Los Angeles.