Statistics Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
View the most recent version.Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.
Commuting Patterns and Places of Work of Canadians, 2006 Census: National, provincial and territorial portraits
Commuting patterns
Commuting distances continue to rise
In 2006, Canadian workers travelled a median distance of 7.6 kilometres, up from 7.2 kilometres in 2001 and 7.0 kilometres in 1996.1
Table 2
Median commuting distance of workers (in kilometres), Canada, provinces and territories, 1996, 2001 and 2006
Among the 10 provinces and three territories, workers who travelled the longest distances to get to work were the ones who lived in Ontario (8.7 km), Nova Scotia (8.4 km) and Quebec (7.8 km). In contrast, workers in Nunavut (2.1 km), the Northwest Territories (2.9 km) and the Yukon Territory (3.9 km) travelled the shortest distances.
Note:
- Census respondents are not asked directly what distance they travel to work. This distance is estimated from the straight line between their home and workplace. In most cases, this underestimates the distance travelled to work because workers seldom have a route that minimizes the distance they travel (such as a straight line) between their home and workplace.
