Travel Behavior & Mobility Patterns

How do San Joaquin County residents commute and what are their travel behaviors?

Understanding travel behavior and mobility patterns is crucial for effective transportation planning and infrastructure development in San Joaquin County. This section explores various aspects of how residents commute, including daily miles traveled, means of transportation, and place of work. By analyzing these patterns, we can identify trends, challenges, and opportunities to enhance the overall transportation system, improve accessibility, and promote sustainable mobility options for the community.

8.4%

higher total daily vehicle miles traveled in San Joaquin County in 2024 than in 2016.

10.4%

of San Joaquin County workers worked from home in 2024, compared with 14.1% of workers overall in California and 13.3% of workers overall in the US.

76%

of San Joaquin County residents worked within the county in 2022.

Daily Vehicle Miles Travelled (DVMT)

San Joaquin County’s total daily miles travelled rose from about 18.5 million in 2016 to a pre-pandemic high of 20.2 million in 2019, dropped to 17.6 million during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, then recovered to 20.0 million by 2024. Adjusted for population, that is 24.86 daily miles per capita in 2024 — above California’s 22.62 but below the U.S. average of 26.52.

8.4%

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Daily Vehicle Miles Travelled (DVMT)

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Source: Caltrans HPMS

Daily Vehicle Miles Travelled per 1,000 Persons

Daily driving varies widely across San Joaquin County’s communities. In 2024, the county’s unincorporated area recorded roughly 16,400 daily vehicle miles per 1,000 residents — well above every city in the county — reflecting long rural road networks and greater distances between destinations. Among cities, Tracy was highest at about 10,300 miles per 1,000 residents, followed by Lodi (8,000) and Stockton (7,300). Escalon (6,100), Lathrop (6,200), and Manteca (6,400) recorded the least driving per resident. These figures cover travel on each jurisdiction’s own locally maintained streets and roads; state highways, which carry roughly 12.5 million daily vehicle miles across the county, are counted separately.

16,356

daily vehicle miles traveled per 1,000 residents in San Joaquin County’s unincorporated area in 2024 — the highest rate in the county.

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Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled Per 1,000 Persons by City/County (2024)

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Note: Daily vehicle miles of travel on each jurisdiction's locally-maintained roads, divided by its own population and shown per 1,000 residents. State highways are excluded. The unincorporated county uses the unincorporated population (161,689), which in 2024 still included Mountain House.

Source: Caltrans HPMS, 2024 California Public Road Data, Table 6 ÷ CA DOF E-1 population, January 1, 2024.

Means of Transportation to Work

In 2024, 72.4% of San Joaquin County workers age 16 and older drove alone to work, 13.6% carpooled and 10.4% worked at home. These shares use the same ACS population (Table DP03, workers age 16 and over) as the California and U.S. comparisons shown in the chart.

10.4%

of San Joaquin County’s workforce telecommuted in 2024, trailing behind the broader state and national trends.

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Means of Transportation to Work

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year, Table DP03, workers age 16 and over · Vehicles Available: Table DP04, occupied housing units

Workers with a Commute of 60+ minutes or more

San Joaquin County shows a significantly higher rate of long commutes compared to California and the United States as a whole. With 20.1% of San Joaquin County workers experiencing a commute of 60 minutes or more, this trend underscores the importance of expanding regional transit options and creating local jobs. With a lower percentage of workers facing such lengthy travel times in California and the United States overall than in San Joaquin County, increasing remote work opportunities or improving transit efficiency could also address the current travel burdens on residents

20.1%

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Workers with a Commute of 60 Minutes or More

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Source: US Census Bureau (Table S0801)

Place of Work

San Joaquin County has a robust local job market, with a majority of residents working within the county. Still, while roughly 73% of San Joaquin County workers worked within their county of residence in 2024, nearly 84% of California workers overall did. Across the nation, remote workers represent roughly 14% of the workforce, while San Joaquin County’s work-from-home rate trails behind at just under 10%. This data shows the distribution of where residents work, providing insights into commuting patterns and local job availability.

73%

In/Out of County

Remote Work

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Work Location Distribution

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Table B08007.

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Remote Work Trends (2019–2024)

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Note: Share of workers (16+) who worked from home. Shown as a percentage so San Joaquin, California, and the United States are comparable on one chart. 2020 is omitted (no standard 1-year ACS released for 2020).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Table S0801 (Worked from home).

Travel Behavior & Mobility Patterns

How do San Joaquin County residents commute and what are their travel behaviors?

8.4%

10.4%

76%