San Mateo, CA, primarily relies on cars for commuting, with a significant percentage of residents driving to work. The city is working towards improving transportation efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions through various initiatives.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 26.5 minutes of driving and 8.125 minutes on the train, covering a distance of 21.45 km.
  • Car - Car commuters spend approximately 30.29 minutes driving, with minimal walking time.
  • Train - Train commuters experience a 65-minute train ride, with additional waiting and bus times totaling 25 minutes.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
78%
Train
11%
Home
11%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the summer months as tourism peaks. Winter holidays also see a rise in traffic due to shopping and festive events.

Commuter Pain Points

Heavy reliance on cars leads to congestion during peak hours. Limited public transportation options can cause delays and inconvenience.

Best Travel Times

Traveling before 7 AM or after 7 PM can help avoid peak traffic congestion. Midday travel is generally smoother with less traffic.

Event Impacts

Public events at the San Mateo County Event Center can significantly increase local traffic. Concerts and sports events often lead to temporary road closures and detours.

Sustainability Efforts

San Mateo is investing in electric vehicle infrastructure to promote cleaner transportation. The city is also exploring bike-sharing programs to reduce car usage.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have helped reduce the number of personal vehicles on the road. These services offer flexible commuting options, especially for those without access to a car.

Worldwide
United States

Traffic Rankings

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: Dec, 2024
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 9 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
13.3 miles
Walking
1.3 mins
Waiting
1.3 mins
Driving Car
26.5 mins
Bus / Trolley
1.9 mins
Train
8.1 mins
Total:
39.0 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
11.7 miles
Walking
0.7 mins
Driving Car
30.3 mins
Total:
31.0 mins
Average when primarily using Train
Distance
24.9 miles
Walking
5.0 mins
Waiting
10.0 mins
Bus / Trolley
15.0 mins
Train
65.0 mins
Total:
95.0 mins
San Mateo Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Increasing public transportation options could alleviate car dependency and reduce emissions.

Promoting remote work could further decrease the need for daily commutes.

Key Indexes

Emissions

San Mateo has a high CO2 emissions index of 7286.5, indicating significant environmental impact.

Efforts are needed to reduce emissions, particularly from car usage.

Time

The average commute time index is 39, reflecting moderate delays.

Commuters face an average time expenditure index of 1343.67, suggesting room for efficiency improvements.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index stands at 183.3, highlighting areas for potential optimization in traffic flow.

Reducing car dependency could improve overall traffic efficiency.