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Canadians are used to long distances—the country is 5,514 kilometres wide—but when it comes to the daily commute to work, we like to keep the distances as short as possible.
The median commuting distance of Canadian women is 6.1 kilometres. That means half live at least 6.1 kilometres from work and the other half live closer. Men tend to go farther afield to their jobs: their median one-way commute is 7.8 kilometres.
How far we live from work determines our mode of transportation. Among those who drive, the average median distance for women is 7.0 kilometres, whereas for men it is 8.8 kilometres. Those who take public transit, cycle or walk have shorter commutes.
For a growing number of Canadians, the trek to work can be measured in metres. In 1995, 16% of all workers regularly performed some of their duties at home, either for their own businesses or for their employers.