Local Towns Top Worst-Commute List

Four of top six in D.C. region

Think your commute is bad?  Well, if you live in a small town around Washington, D.C., it probably is, according to Forbes magazine.

Forbes recently unveiled its list of the worst small towns for commuters in the nation, and the Washington region is represented quite a bit.  In fact, four of the worst locations are in the D.C. region, and 28 of the top 100 are in the District's suburban sprawl.

So which is the worst?  Drum roll please ...

The No. 1 worst small town for commuters is:  Linton Hall, Va. 

The magazine said the Prince William County locale, which has a population of just over 21,000, has an average commute time of 46.3 minutes, which is seven minutes longer than New Yorkers and 17 minutes longer than those in Los Angeles.  About 78 percent of commuters drive alone and just 1 percent walk to work.

The results show that many of the worst commutes begin in towns on the fringes big cities. Take Linton Hall, Va. With areas closer to D.C. growing more crowded and expensive, boom-time buyers looking for affordable new construction found themselves in this little town. "The developers out here did a really good job of selling a lifestyle," says Linton Hall Realtors owner and broker Ashley Leigh. Linton Hall is especially popular with military contractors, he says, many of whom brave the 35-mile drive to the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., in order to live in new, spacious houses at low prices.

The 10 worst small-town commutes:

  1. Linton Hall, Va.
  2. Brentwood, Calif.
  3. Fort Washington, Md.
  4. Los Banos, Calif.
  5. Clinton, Md.
  6. Dale City, Va.
  7. Bainbridge Island, Wash.
  8. Queen Creek, Ariz.
  9. Long Beach, N.Y.
  10. Plainfield, Ill.

Forbes said the average commute for those living in Fort Washington is 42.5 minutes.  The average commute for Clinton residents is 41.7 minutes.  Dale City residents have an average commute of 41.3 minutes.

And the best commute in the nation belongs to Cedar City, Utah, according to Forbes.  The town of 25,500 has an average commute time of 12.8 minutes.

The shortest commute:  Aberdeen, S.D., times in with an average of just 10.4 minutes.

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