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10 Best U.S. Cities for Public Transportation

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By Susan Meyer Info
Updated June 25, 2024
Quality verified Edited By Ross Martin Info
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Susan Meyer
Senior Editorial Manager

Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…

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  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
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Ross Martin
Insurance Writer

Ross joined The Zebra as a writer and researcher in 2019. He specialized in writing insurance content to help shoppers make informed decisions.

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  • 5+ years in the Insurance Industry
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  1. Cities 1 - 3
  2. Cities 5 - 7
  3. Cities 8 - 10
  4. Methodology

What Makes a City Great for Public Transportation?

According to the American Public Transportation Association, Americans average 34 million trips on public transportation every single weekday.[1] Clearly, getting around without having to rely on a car is a necessity across the country.

However, not all cities have the same quality of public transportation. From accessibility to timing, some areas are better than others.  

The Zebra set out to find the best cities for public transportation by analyzing the 50 most populous cities in the U.S. We also ranked the top three cities in each region to get a sense of infrastructure nationwide. We used the four following data points:

  • Average commute time on public transportation (30% of score)
  • Number of public transportation routes available (30% of score)
  • Walk score (30% of score)
  • Free public transportation (10% of score)

Check out the top 10 cities nationally.

#1: Washington, DC

Our nation's capital is one of the most walkable cities in the country, plus it gets bonus points for offering free transit. Commute times in Washington, DC are somewhat high at 49 minutes on average, but there is great accessibility no matter where you live, thanks to 25 different routes.

DC by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 49 minutes
  • Number of routes: 25
  • Walk score: 98
  • Free public transportation? Yes

#2: Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is another city providing free transportation, making it cheap and easy to get around 16 different routes. Walkability is quite high with a Walk Score of 83, and the average Bostonian spends just under 48 minutes per day commuting on public transportation.

Boston by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 47.7 minutes
  • Number of routes: 16
  • Walk score: 83
  • Free public transportation? Yes

#3: San Francisco, California (tied)

San Francisco ties for third, largely because it has the most number of public transportation routes (26 in total). You do have to pay to ride, but the city also has an 89 walk score.

San Fransisco by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 49.3 minutes
  • Number of routes: 26
  • Walk score: 89
  • Free public transportation? No

#3: Minneapolis, Minnesota (tied)

Minneapolis shares its ranking with San Francisco, particularly because it has one of the lowest commute times on our list, clocking in at just over 40 minutes. However, the city isn't quite as walkable as other cities on our list and doesn't offer free rides.

Minneapolis by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 40.7 minutes
  • Number of routes: 18
  • Walk score: 71
  • Free public transportation? No

#5: Seattle, Washington

Seattle stands out with 22 routes connecting the city via public transportation. The walk score is a 74 and the average transit commuter spends about 47 minutes getting to and from work each day. The downside is that there is no free public transit in Seattle.

Seattle by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 47.4 minutes
  • Number of routes: 22
  • Walk score: 74
  • Free public transportation? No

#6: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

There's no free transit in Pittsburgh and the walk score is only 62. But the good news is that the average rider spends 41 minutes commuting. And the accessibility is among the nation's highest with 17 routes available.

Pittsburgh by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 41 minutes
  • Number of routes: 17
  • Walk score: 62
  • Free public transportation? No

#7: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a decent walk score and 9 routes available, it's pretty easy to get around Philadelphia. However, commutes on public transportation average just over 48 minutes and you'll have to pay to ride.

Philadelphia by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 48.4
  • Number of routes: 9
  • Walk score: 75
  • Free public transportation? No

#8: Chicago, Illinois (tied)

Chicago has a walk score of 77, making it easy to get around, especially when combined with 11 public transportation routes available. There are no free tickets, however, and Chicagoans average nearly 50 minutes on their transit commute.

Chicago by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 49.9 minutes
  • Number of routes: 11
  • Walk score: 77
  • Free public transportation? No

#8: New York, New York (tied)

Did you expect this one to be higher? New York ties with Chicago. Unsurprisingly, the city has a walk score of 88 and a total of 20 public transportation routes available. Riders must pay and tend to spend over 52 minutes commuting each day. Since NYC and Chicago are larger cities, commutes will naturally be a bit longer.

NYC by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 52.8 minutes
  • Number of routes: 20
  • Walk score: 88
  • Free public transportation? No

#10: Portland, Oregon

Commuters in Portland spend a relatively small amount of time getting to work, clocking in just under 45 minutes each day. There are 10 routes available, but a walk score of just 67. Plus, you'll have to pay to ride.

Portland by the numbers

  • Average commute time: 44.8 minutes
  • Number of routes: 10
  • Walk score: 67
  • Free public transportation? No

Methodology

The Zebra pulled four data points to analyze the top 50 MSAs (by population) in the U.S. related to public transportation. 

  • Average commute time[2]
  • Number of routes[3]
  • Walk score[4]
  • Free public transportation[5]

MSA data was used where applicable, and we sometimes substituted city or state data as necessary. We removed cities from the top 10 if two or more data points were unavailable.

Wrapping up

Not ready to give up your car just yet? Even if you live in a city that has workable public transportation, make owning a car more sustainable by saving on insurance. Compare car insurance rates to find options for your budget.  

Sources

  1. Public transportation facts. [American Public Transportation Association]

    Public transportation facts. [American Public Transportation Association]

  2. Commutes in the U.S. [Clever]

    Commutes in the U.S. [Clever]

  3. Public transportation metrics. [AllTransit]

    Public transportation metrics. [AllTransit]

  4. Data and analysis [WalkScore]

    Data and analysis [WalkScore]

  5. These cities offer fare-free public transport. [AS]

    These cities offer fare-free public transport. [AS]