I'm thinking of taking a job that is a legit 20+ miles away. Is that too far? How far do you guys commute daily?
I don't think that is too far. I used to have to drive 30-35 miles about 5 years ago for a year. I got tired of the drive at first, but later got used to it. However, I wasn't complaining when I got transferred to an office that was like 15 miles away. It takes me about 20 minutes every morning to get to work, and it's about 15 miles away. So, to answer your question, I don't think 20 miles is that bad; however, you got to remember that I'm living in a small town. I also work in a town that is a little bit bigger but is only around 15,000 people. So, the traffic is not bad, but in your case it could be a huge problem.
My job is 30 miles from where I live. The commute is better now that the freeway has been widened (it cut about 10 minutes off my once 50 minute commute) and the drive does give me a chance to shake off the morning haze. Then again, it sucks when I get off work but realize that I won't really be done with the work day until I get home after a 40 minute drive. I keep telling myself I should move, but I'm too lazy on the weekends to find a new place. Unless you own a house, I would suggest moving ASAP.
sub, heck no. I don't know if you're familiar with the Austin area, but Lakeway isn't a place for a young handsome guy in his mid twenties who is also unbelievably modest. I love central Austin too much.
Twenty miles? Man, all my jobs in Dallas have been 20-25 miles or more with few exceptions. The most I've commuted for a job was 38-40 miles one way. I currently work a little less than1 mile from where I live. Oh so sweet.
One more thing I forgot to mention was I was talking to a co-worker about our commutes. He said he knew a guy that would drive from Amarillo or Lubbock or somesuch to Dallas to work. Wherever he was coming from, his trip was about 150 miles... one way. He did that every day for a long time from what I understand.
I've had a 50 mile commute for the past four months and I'll be moving within 30 miles by May. I listen to a lot of sports radio and books on tape. 20 miles is nothing. B
Amarillo and Lubbock are much further than 150 miles from Dallas. Trust me, I've made that drive from Amarillo to Dallas more times that any normal person would in an entire lifetime (of course, most sensible people know better than to ever go to Amarillo at all). Wichita Falls would be about 150 miles to Dallas (depending on where in the Dallas Metroplex). I had a professor in summer school one year who commuted about 130 miles each morning for our 7:30 class (4 days a week) and then drive back home in the afternoon. I sure wouldn't want to do that. But a 20 mile commute really isn't much of anything (I say that, though, being in essentially the same position as Jeff in that I only have to walk from one room to another to "work").
I think the more important issue time , not distance. How much time are you willing to give up going to and from work. Depending on traffic, time of day and roads traveled, this will all have an effect. I travel about 20 miles each way, but I don’t use any freeways ( mostly 2920 ). Takes me about 25 minutes. But I still want to move closer to work, it would be great to go home for lunch.
Got you beat! 5 paces...add another 15 for coffee Seriously, I think it would depend on what the other end had to offer. For me, and for awhile, I lived in San Antonio and worked in New Braunfels. Since I'm a big fan of canoeing, I didn't mind hanging out there to get some strokes in. RR
Jeff has me beat, but I jog into my profession each day. About a 35-40 minute run. Drive would be about 5 miles through heavy traffic. Some people commute between DC and NY each day. I think that is just crazy, but it's common. A lot of people also commute between Baltimore and Washington DC too. I guess it depends on how much you are being paid.
Also don't forget the issue of gas, and putting the miles on your car. 20 miles isn't too bad in that regard, but I couldnt imagine driving 50 miles to work every day. That's 500 miles a week just going to and from work. say you work 50 weeks a year, thats 25,000 miles just from work. Add, say, 5000 random miles, and you're putting on 30,000 miles a year. Now, I don't know what car's average, really, but say you get around 20 mpg (too low / high?), that's 1500 gallons a year, at, say, $1.33 on average, and you're spending $2000 bucks a year on gas, twice what I would pay. Plus, pumping gas is a chore, and after 5 years you already have 150,000 miles on your car - not good for resale value! Anyway, I dont know why I did that. If you move closer to the city your cost of living will go up anyway and cancel things out, plus then you'd have to find a new place, yadda yadda yadda.
20 miles is nothing to concern yourself over. My commute in Minnesota is 18 miles, but it only takes 18 minutes as it's freeway for 17 miles. In Houston my commute was around 10 miles but it took 30-40 minutes most days.
My commute is 3 miles. I'm very happy with that. I found my job and then found a nearby apartment. I don't like my location because it's a 40 minute commute to visit my folks and old friends. And, if I get a house, I don't know what I'll do about the commute, since I really like it being short. 20 miles would be about my maximum tolerance.
I think the bigger question is how much traffic is there to and from work? Twenty miles is cake if you have no traffic. I live 5 miles from work. Takes me 20-25m sometimes. With no traffic, and if I hit every light, I'm there in 5m.
That is the scenario with my current job. The new job is a greater diestance, but the traffic will be considerably lighter.
Mine is 23 miles, but it's all freeway, so it only takes 25 minutes. I have a brother-in-law who lives in Austin and commutes to Bloomington, Illinois to work. Now that's a drive! Seriously, he flys up Sunday afternoon and comes home Thursday evening. Every week. Of course, he makes more money than all of us put together, so I guess it's worth it.
