Your D.C. commute may have gotten shorter

The pandemic likely shaved a few minutes off your drive to work.

What's happening: The average one-way commute in Washington, D.C., was 4.6 minutes shorter in 2021 compared to 2019, per the latest U.S. Census data.

• Commutes decreased the most in D.C., Boston, and San Francisco.

Why it matters: More people working from home and fewer commuting by car have reshaped the traditional back-and-forth.

• Nearly half, or 48.3%, of workers in Washington, D.C., worked mainly from home in 2021 — the highest percentage of remote workers in the country, according to the data.

Between the lines: Traffic congestion is down about 27% across the downtowns in major U.S. cities compared to pre-pandemic levels, reports Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick.

• Nationwide, the average one-way trip to work was two minutes shorter than in 2019, per the census data.

What we're watching: For those who do go back in, flexible work arrangements make it easier to avoid rush hour and cut back on some of the stress around commuting, research firm Moody’s Analytics senior director Adam Kamis told Axios.

Go deeper: The number of people working remotely tripled during COVID