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Access Across America: Auto 2024

Gains in employment opportunities outpaced increases in congestion to improve overall access to jobs by auto

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Access Across America: Auto 2024 shows that increases in employment opportunities outpaced worsening congestion in major U.S. metropolitan areas, leading to higher overall year over year access to jobs by auto.   

San Jose and Minneapolis broke into the top five U.S. metro areas with the most jobs reachable by auto, joining Los Angeles, New York and Dallas. The metro areas with the highest auto accessibility gains were Las Vegas and Louisville; San Antonio and Jacksonville also saw strong year over year growth.

The Los Angeles metro area, with its extensive roadway system and high number of regional jobs, stands out by having both the highest number of jobs accessible by driving and the second-highest in reduction in access to jobs due to congestion. There are more than 1.5 million jobs accessible within a 30-minute drive, but traffic congestion restricts the average worker from accessing 64% of those during peak travel times compared to free-flow periods.   

Now tracked by comparable methods over a decade by the Accessibility Observatory, the findings presented in Access Across America have a range of uses and implications. State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and local government agencies can apply the evaluations to performance goals related to congestion, reliability, and sustainability. In addition, detailed accessibility evaluation can help in selecting between project alternatives and prioritizing investments.

Top Metro Areas for Job Accessibility by Auto (2024)

  1. Los Angeles
  2. New York
  3. Dallas
  4. San Jose
  5. Minneapolis
  6. Phoenix
  7. Detroit
  8. Chicago
  9. Denver
  10. Salt Lake City 

Top Metro Areas for Loss in Job Accessibility Due to Congestion (2024)

  1. Riverside
  2. Los Angeles
  3. New York
  4. Miami
  5. Boston
  6. Chicago
  7. San Francisco
  8. Atlanta
  9. Washington
  10. Houston

Top Metro Areas for Greatest One-Year Gain in Job Accessibility by Auto (2024)

  1. Las Vegas
  2. Louisville
  3. Fresno
  4. Jacksonville
  5. San Antonio
  6. Los Angeles
  7. Indianapolis
  8. St. Louis
  9. Virginia Beach
  10. Charlotte

Top Metro Areas for Worst One-Year Loss in Job Accessibility Due to Congestion (2024)

  1. Dallas
  2. Seattle
  3. Orlando
  4. Detroit
  5. Denver
  6. Chicago
  7. Austin
  8. Washington
  9. Las Vegas
  10. Houston

About the Rankings

Travel times by auto are calculated using a detailed road network and speed data that reflect typical conditions for an 8 a.m. Wednesday morning departure. Additionally, the accessibility results for each location at 8 a.m. are compared with results across the 24-hour period to estimate the impact of road and highway congestion on job accessibility.

Key factors affecting the rankings for any metro area include the number of jobs available and where they are located, the road network structure, traffic management practices, the provision of alternate transportation modes, and population size, density, and location. Better coordination of transportation systems with the location of jobs and housing (“land use”) will improve job accessibility by auto.

More Information

The research is sponsored by the National Accessibility Evaluation Pooled-Fund Study, a multi-year effort led by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and supported by partners including the Federal Highway Administration and additional state DOTs.