‘Rush’ hour isn’t what it used to be. Working 10-to-4 is the new 9-to-5, commuting data shows

Afternoon commuters sit in traffic on southbound Interstate 5 near downtown San Diego on March 12, 2024.
Credit: Kevin Carter / Getty

“Rush” hour isn’t what it used to be.
Commuters are going in later and leaving earlier, according to traffic data.
With more flexible work arrangements, going to the office for only part of the day, or “coffee badging” is now common.

“Rush” hour isn’t what it used to be.

As more commuters settle into flexible working arrangements, fewer workers are making early morning or early evening trips compared to pre-pandemic traffic patterns

The traditional American 9-to-5 has shifted to 10-to-4, according to the 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard released in June by INRIX Inc., a traffic-data analysis firm.

Midday trips are the new normal

“There is less of a morning commute, less of an evening commute and much more afternoon activity,” said Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst and author of the report. “This is more of the new normal.”

Now, there is a “midday rush hour,” the INRIX report found, with almost as many trips to and from the office being made at noon as there are at […]