Meet the super commuters traveling hours to DMV jobs
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Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
Some Washingtonian super commuters are clocking into their hybrid D.C. jobs from houses hours away.
Why it matters: No longer is it standard thinking that you have to live in D.C. to work in D.C., shifting the makeup of our city's professional pool.
State of play: Thanks to WFH changes made permanent by Covid, it's now easier for many to try another city while still keeping their D.C.-area jobs, or to move for lower housing prices and costs of living.
This comes as Northern Virginia has seen the highest out-migration rate per capita this decade out of all the state's metro areas, according to a report by UVA's Weldon Cooper Center.
- Many NoVa fleers are moving to the Winchester and Richmond metro areas where costs are lower, says the report.
What they're saying: Sam Sheline moved to Richmond in 2021 and commutes into D.C. once a week for two days in-office at his National Geographic job.
- His commute: Amtrak to Alexandria, then Metro to the office. He crashes with his sister for the night.
- He passes the three-hour trip via work, podcasts, reading, or a movie.
The commute is worth it, he says: He and his wife moved to Richmond so they could afford a house with more room and outdoor space before starting a family.
- But being away a night a week can be stressful: "My wife and I have had to work out a really consistent schedule and division of labor to ensure she's not getting burnt out by the days that I'm away."
Amelia Kermis moved to Boston last year for her husband's job and travels one day per week to her government agency job in Suitland, Maryland.
- Her commute: Boston's subway, the T, to the airport, a flight from Boston to DCA, then the Metro to Suitland — then the reverse at the end of the day.
- It's about an eight-hour commute roundtrip, which she passes by working, listening to podcasts, or reading.
- This arrangement wouldn't be possible without the WFH changes widely adopted via Covid, Kermis says. "The technology adoption for hybrid meetings makes it possible to continue business as usual remotely."
What we're watching: D.C.'s office market is floundering: Several government agencies are expected to dump office space in the near future to remote work, the Wall Street Journal reports.
- Meanwhile, the Biden administration has struggled to get federal workers to the office IRL on a regular basis.
Zoom in: Super commuters shared their tips with us for how to survive the long haul to D.C.
- Keep a set of clothes and toiletries in your commuting bag, even if you're just making a one-day roundtrip, says Kermis — you never know if your transportation will get canceled.
- And, if flying, pick one airline and collect points.
Plus: You can get Center of the Universe Brewing's Brewski lager at the Amtrak bar cart by request, says Sheline.
- "One of those and a downloaded movie (don't you try to stream movies on that Amtrak WiFi!) is a great post-work accompaniment to a long commute."