More U.S. commuters are traveling longer distances to get between their homes and jobs than they did before the pandemic, according to new research from Stanford University.

In the ten largest U.S. cities, drivers who travel more than 75 miles increased 32%.

Based on GPS data for about 200,000 trips in each city the researchers examined, the study attributed the increase in so-called super commuters to the rise in work-from-home policies that negate the need for people to drive every day. The resulting reduction in traffic allows such commuters to drive more quickly.

Even so, the average super commute usually takes 2 hours and 20 minutes each way.

The percentage of paid full days worked from home increased 500% in 2024 compared with prior to the pandemic, according to the study. The ability to work from home is enabling people to live further away from where they work.

The researchers looked at the four months of traffic data for the four months immediately preceding the pandemic and compared them to the same months four years later. They found the number of drivers who commuted less than 35 miles decreased slightly, while the number of commuters who drove more than 35 miles increased. The largest increases were among commuters who traveled more than 40 miles.

Washington, D.C. and New York City showed the largest increase in super commuters traveling more than 40 miles, up 100% and 89% respectively. Philadelphia and Miami saw significant jumps in very long commutes of more than 75 miles post pandemic, increasing 28% and 6% respectively. Chicago was the only city to see a reduction in super commuting; it was down 4% compared with prior to the pandemic.