ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · MD · GEOID 24633002024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Potomac, Maryland

Mean one-way trip29.7 min±3.3 min MOE
Worked from home38.3%±3.3 pp MOE
Drove alone51.2%±2.8 pp MOE
60+ minute trip7.6%among commuters

U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates for residents age 16+ who work. Commute time excludes people working from home.

01 / THE SHIFT

What changed in the published estimate?

These periods overlap: 2021 covers 2017–2021 and 2024 covers 2020–2024. Changes are directional comparisons, not independent annual measurements.

Mean commute31.5 min → 29.7 min▼ 1.8 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home23.1% → 38.3%▲ 15.2 pp

Share of workers age 16+ who usually worked from home.

Public transit5.0% → 2.4%▼ 2.6 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone61.0% → 51.2%▼ 9.7 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone51.2% ±2.8 pp
Carpool4.6% ±1.3 pp
Public transit2.4% ±0.6 pp
Walk1.3% ±0.5 pp
Bicycle0.2% ±0.1 pp
Work from home38.3% ±3.3 pp

Each share uses 21,685 estimated workers as its denominator. Categories shown here do not include every ACS mode.

03 / PEER CONTEXT

Compared with similar-size places

Percentiles are single-metric context, never a “good commute” score.

76thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 76% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

99thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 99% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

75thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 75% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

59th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 59% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate45,902± 1,782 MOE
Workers age 16+21,685± 945 MOE
Workers with travel time13,387± 846 MOE
Estimated home workers8,298± 799 MOE
Why the ± matters

ACS values are survey estimates. The margin of error is the 90% confidence interval published by the Census Bureau or calculated for a share from published component margins. Small differences can be sampling noise.