In 2024, Wilmington, DE, sees a significant reliance on cars, with two-thirds of commuters opting for this mode of transport. Walking is the second most popular commuting method, accounting for a third of all trips, reflecting the city's compact nature.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 30.33 minutes of driving and 10.67 minutes of walking, covering a distance of 36.27 km.
  • Car - Car commuters spend about 45 minutes driving, covering a distance of 53.04 km.
  • Walking - Walking commuters spend approximately 32 minutes on foot, covering a distance of 2.74 km.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
67%
Walking
33%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the summer months as tourists visit the city. Winter months see a slight decrease in traffic due to adverse weather conditions.

Commuter Pain Points

Heavy reliance on cars leads to congestion 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 the best times to avoid traffic. Midday travel between 11 AM and 1 PM is also relatively smooth.

Event Impacts

Public events in downtown Wilmington can cause significant traffic delays. Concerts and sports events often lead to increased congestion around venues.

Sustainability Efforts

Wilmington is investing in bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure to promote sustainable commuting. The city is exploring electric vehicle incentives to reduce carbon footprints.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have helped reduce the number of cars on the road, easing congestion slightly. These services provide a flexible alternative to traditional public transportation.

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: Feb, 2025
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 6 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
22.5 miles
Walking
10.7 mins
Driving Car
30.3 mins
Total:
41.0 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
33.0 miles
Driving Car
45.0 mins
Total:
45.0 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
1.7 miles
Walking
32.0 mins
Driving Car
1.0 mins
Total:
33.0 mins
Wilmington Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Increasing the use of public transportation and non-motorized travel could help reduce CO2 emissions.

Improving traffic management systems could decrease commute times and inefficiencies.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Wilmington's CO2 emissions index stands at 8068.67, indicating a high level of emissions primarily due to car usage.

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

Time

The time index is 41.00, reflecting moderate traffic delays.

Commuters experience an average of 1916.59 minutes of time expenditure due to traffic annually.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index is 502.54, suggesting room for improvement in traffic management.

Strategies to enhance traffic flow could significantly reduce inefficiencies.