The UK cities with the quickest commutes - MAPPED

New research has revealed the UK cities where you’re most likely to have a quick commute, with London taking the top spot, and Bristol and Liverpool amongst those tied for second place. 

Flexible office specialist Workthere analysed new Census data, released in December, to calculate the average commuting time and distance in each local authority, as well as exploring the most popular modes of transport in each area. 

The residents of London travel just 19 minutes a day to and from their place of work, which is less than any other large UK city. 

Bristol, Liverpool, Leicester, Nottingham and Newcastle are all tied in second place, with an average daily commute time of 22 minutes, despite varying distances. 

Regarding the mode of transport, while driving by car or van is still the most popular commuting method, 8% travel to work on foot. Surprisingly, only 2% of Brits used the train as their primary mode of transport to get to work, compared to 3% in 2011.

The people most likely to travel on foot are those living on the Isles of Scilly (28%) and Scarborough (17%), while the largest number of cyclists can be found in Cambridge (17%).

Cal Lee, Head of Workthere, said:

“Not only did the pandemic significantly change our travelling habits, but the cost-of-living crisis and train strikes have both contributed to this shift in commuting over the years. There’s also a growing trend of people travelling sustainably for both business and pleasure purposes. Almost a fifth of UK commuters already use a green form of transport, but we expect this to rise further in the coming years.   

“The Census data shows that commuter habits are ever evolving, which could see a significant shift in what businesses require from office amenities in the coming years. Location has therefore never been more important for businesses with how staff travel to work now a key consideration for many. As a result, location is also a fundamental factor driving decisions for flexible office operators looking to open new space.”