The U.S. Census Bureau recently released data from the American Community Survey for the year 2010.  The American Community Survey contains a variety of information collected from millions of surveys distributed nationwide regarding population, housing, economics, and demographics.  

As part of the American Community Survey, the Census Bureau collects and distributes data related to commuting.  Information regarding where residents work, how they commute to work, when they leave for work, and how long it takes to commute is included. 

According to the American Community Survey:

• 81% of Hampton Roads commuters drove alone to work each day in 2010.  This percentage ranks Hampton Roads 19th highest among 35 metropolitan areas with populations between one and three million people across the United States.  The percentage of Hampton Roads commuters that drive alone to work each day is higher than it was in previous decades (60% in 1980, 73% in 1990, and 79% in 2000), but is down from 82% in 2009.
• The average amount of time it took to commute to work in Hampton Roads was 23.7 minutes in 2010.  This was the 10th shortest commuting time among the 35 comparable metropolitan areas as described above.  The average travel time to work in Hampton Roads has varied little in recent decades; in 1990 it was 21.8 minutes and in 2000 it was 24.1 minutes.
• Just under half (48%) of Hampton Roads commuters in 2010 worked in a locality that was different than the one they resided in.  This number increased from 41% in 1980 and 44% in 1990, but remained steady between 48% and 50% throughout the 2000s.

More information regarding the American Community Survey and commuting characteristic data is available from the U.S. Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/acs