Anchorage, Alaska, primarily relies on cars for commuting, with a significant 86.67% of residents using this mode of transport. Despite the dominance of car travel, there is a small but notable percentage of the population that walks or bicycles, contributing to a diverse transportation landscape.

Average Commute Times

The average commute time across all modes is about 25.62 minutes, with driving being the most time-consuming activity.
  • Car - Car commuters spend approximately 24.81 minutes driving, covering a distance of 28.06 miles.
  • Walking - Walking commuters spend about 16.5 minutes, covering a distance of 2.11 miles.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
87%
Walking
7%
Home
3%
Bicycle
3%
Seasonal Trends

Winter months often see increased traffic delays due to snow and ice, impacting commute times. Summer tends to have smoother traffic flow, but tourist influx can lead to congestion in popular areas.

Commuter Pain Points

Heavy reliance on cars leads to traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. Limited public transportation options restrict commuting flexibility.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 7 AM and late evenings after 7 PM are generally the best times to avoid traffic. Midday travel can also be less congested compared to peak rush hours.

Event Impacts

Public events, such as festivals and sports games, can cause significant traffic disruptions in downtown Anchorage. Planning travel around these events can help avoid unexpected delays.

Sustainability Efforts

Anchorage is exploring initiatives to expand bike lanes and pedestrian pathways to encourage non-motorized commuting. Efforts are underway to improve public transportation accessibility and efficiency.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services are increasingly popular, offering flexible commuting options and reducing the need for personal car ownership. These services help alleviate parking demand in busy areas, contributing to smoother traffic flow.

Worldwide
United States

Traffic Rankings

Anchorage ranks 53rd on the Traffic rankings in United States. The Traffic Index for the United States combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in United States, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.

Worst to BestUpdated: Feb, 2025
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 30 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
16.0 miles
Walking
1.3 mins
Driving Car
22.2 mins
Bicycle
2.1 mins
Motorcycle
0.0 mins
Total:
25.6 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
17.4 miles
Walking
0.2 mins
Driving Car
24.8 mins
Total:
25.0 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
1.3 miles
Walking
16.5 mins
Total:
16.5 mins
Anchorage Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Promoting public transportation and non-motorized travel could significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

Improving infrastructure for walking and cycling can enhance commute efficiency and reduce reliance on cars.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Anchorage has a high CO2 emissions index of 5916.21, reflecting the heavy reliance on cars.

Efforts to reduce emissions could focus on promoting alternative transportation modes.

Time

The average time index is 25.62, indicating moderate commute times.

Time inefficiencies are primarily due to car dependency.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index stands at 306.51, suggesting room for improvement in traffic flow.

Reducing car usage could alleviate some inefficiencies.