How long is the commute from Los Altos, CA?

Name: Commute and cars in Los Altos, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Workers who live in Los Altos, CA take an average of 22.3 minutes to get to work (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

50.7% of workers drive alone to work.

0.7% take public transportation.

1.9% of workers walk to work.

39.4% work from home.

3.1% of households have no vehicle.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Average commute: 22.3 minutes (±1.2)
Public transportation: 0.7%
Work from home: 39.4%
Households without a car: 3.1%

How people in Los Altos get to work

Workers 16 and over by means of transportation to work, 2020–2024
Means of transportation	Los Altos	Santa Clara County	California	United States
Drove alone	50.7% (±2.9 points)	59.9%	65.7%	68.8%
Carpooled	4.2% (±1.2 points)	9.0%	9.5%	8.5%
Public transportation	0.7% (±0.4 points)	2.3%	2.9%	3.2%
Walked	1.9% (±0.9 points)	2.1%	2.4%	2.4%
Other means (bicycle, taxi, motorcycle)	3.2% (±0.8 points)	2.8%	2.4%	2.0%
Worked from home	39.4% (±3.3 points)	23.9%	17.2%	15.1%

In Los Altos, the average commute is lower than in Santa Clara County (26.2 minutes).

It is also lower than in California (28.7 minutes).

It is lower than the national figure (26.4 minutes).

In Los Altos, the share commuting by public transportation is lower than in Santa Clara County (2.3%).

It is also lower than in California (2.9%).

It is lower than the national figure (3.2%).

In Santa Clara County, Los Altos ranks 21 of 23 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest average commute.

Statewide, it ranks 871 of 1,076.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Cars per household in Los Altos

Occupied housing units by vehicles available, 2020–2024
Vehicles available	Los Altos	Santa Clara County	California	United States
No vehicle	3.1% (±1.1 points)	6.0%	7.1%	8.4%
1 vehicle	20.6% (±2.0 points)	31.0%	30.7%	33.1%
2 vehicles	47.2% (±2.9 points)	38.6%	36.3%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	29.1% (±3.0 points)	24.4%	25.8%	21.9%

In Los Altos, the share of households without a vehicle is lower than in Santa Clara County (6.0%).

It is also lower than in California (7.1%).

It is lower than the national figure (8.4%).

Working from home and internet access in Los Altos

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Los Altos	Santa Clara County	California	United States
Workers working from home	39.4% (±3.3 points)	23.9% (±0.5 points)	17.2% (±0.1 points)	15.1%
Households with a computer	99.4% (±0.4 points)	98.0% (±0.2 points)	96.9% (±0.1 points)	95.5%
Households with broadband internet	98.6% (±0.6 points)	95.6% (±0.2 points)	93.5% (±0.1 points)	91.0%

In Los Altos, the share of households with a broadband subscription is higher than in Santa Clara County (95.6%).

It is also higher than in California (93.5%).

It is higher than the national figure (91.0%).

Average commute in places near Los Altos

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Los Altos
Place	Distance	Average commute	Compared with this place
Los Altos	—	22.3 minutes (±1.2)	—
Loyola	1.3 mi	27.8 minutes (±4.9)	Higher
Los Altos Hills	2.3 mi	29.2 minutes (±3.9)	Higher
Mountain View	2.4 mi	23.3 minutes (±0.7)	Not measurably different
Palo Alto	3.2 mi	21.4 minutes (±0.7)	Not measurably different
Sunnyvale	4.0 mi	23.0 minutes (±0.5)	Not measurably different
Cupertino	4.4 mi	23.6 minutes (±0.8)	Not measurably different
Stanford	5.6 mi	14.6 minutes (±1.0)	Lower
Ladera	6.0 mi	20.7 minutes (±6.9)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Stanford, CA (14.6 minutes).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Loyola, CA (27.8 minutes), Los Altos Hills, CA (29.2 minutes).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Average commute across Santa Clara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Average commute
15	Burbank (community)	24.6 minutes (±2.3)
16	Cupertino	23.6 minutes (±0.8)
17	Campbell	23.4 minutes (±1.1)
18	Mountain View	23.3 minutes (±0.7)
19	Sunnyvale	23.0 minutes (±0.5)
20	Santa Clara	22.6 minutes (±0.7)
21	Los Altos	22.3 minutes (±1.2)
22	Palo Alto	21.4 minutes (±0.7)
23	Stanford	14.6 minutes (±1.0)

Showing 9 of 23 places in Santa Clara County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Los Altos

How long is the average commute in Los Altos?

Workers who live in Los Altos, CA take an average of 22.3 minutes each way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Can you live in Los Altos without a car?

3.1% of households in Los Altos have no vehicle, and 0.7% of workers commute by public transportation.

How many people work from home in Los Altos?

39.4% (±3.3 points) of workers who live in Los Altos worked from home, and 98.6% of households have a broadband subscription.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Los Altos city, California (place:43280, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP03_0018E, DP03_0018M, DP03_0025E, DP03_0025M, DP03_0019PE, DP03_0019PM, DP03_0020PE, DP03_0020PM, DP03_0021PE, DP03_0021PM, DP03_0022PE, DP03_0022PM, DP03_0023PE, DP03_0023PM, DP03_0024PE, DP03_0024PM, DP04_0058PE, DP04_0058PM, DP04_0059PE, DP04_0059PM, DP04_0060PE, DP04_0060PM, DP04_0061PE, DP04_0061PM, DP02_0153PE, DP02_0153PM, DP02_0154PE, DP02_0154PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.