Cape Coral, Fort Myers lead the state in longest commute time

CAPE CORAL, Fla.- Do you think your morning commute is bad? You’re not the only one.

The U.S. Census Bureau released data that says the longest average commute in our state is in Cape Coral and Fort Myers.

If you ask anyone in Florida what cities are likely to have the longest commute to work, they might suggest larger cities like Orlando, Tampa Bay or Miami.

Which is why you might be surprised to hear Cape Coral, a city of just over 165,000 people gives residents the longest trek.

Jill Jones is a hairdresser in Fort Myers and she endures the long commute five days a week.

“I don’t mind traveling to Fort Myers if it means living in Cape Coral and having the safety of my children.”

Jones says it takes her about 30 minutes to get to work.

“I tend to go to the other bridge, and it doesn’t make a difference because that one is just as backed up because everyone’s doing the same thing as I am.”

Thirty minutes doesn’t sound so bad, but let’s put this into perspective. Jones spends an hour a day commuting. Over the span of one year, that amounts to 10 1/2 days driving to and from work.

She ranks right around the average Cape commuting time of 28 minutes.

So how does one of the smaller cities in Florida lead the state in long commutes? According to representatives from Cape Coral Public Works Department, it’s the time-consuming combination of canals and our friends from up north.

Of course, it’s also all about perspective. Our longest commute of 28 minutes is still far less than the longest average commute in the United States which belongs to New York residents. The average commuting time for New Yorkers is 35 1/2 minutes.