The United States is home to some of the most congested cities in the world, but there are some places around the country where residents have a smooth daily commute.

Lyft together with The Harris Poll conducted an online survey of 1,404 respondents aged 18+ within the United States from August 22 through August 26, 2024, and released results in a September report.

The average commute time was calculated using the 2022 American Census Survey and the traffic was calculated using Lyft data from August 2023 to August 2024. The data set was limited to 35 cities in the U.S. with populations over 500,000 and each city was given an overall score out of 100.

The report found that 25% of the commuters surveyed said that time was the most important factor in having a great commute.

"We are seeing people going back to work and commuting more, even if it's not every single day," Jill Gonzalez, corporate communications at Lyft, tells CNBC Make It. "If you are going back to the office, you know that the commute is not what it once was. There is more of a balance now."

Though dealing with congestion might seem bad, Bob Pischue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, says it's a sign of a good economy.

"Congestion shows that the economy is moving. Traffic is a problem, but it's reflective of people going to the office, running errands, shopping, visiting relatives, which are all good things," he told Make It in August 2023.

A 2023 report from INRIX, a transportation analytics company, found that the typical driver in the U.S. lost 51 hours in congestion in 2022, up 15 hours from 2021.

Columbus, Ohio is the U.S. city with the fastest car commute

The Midwestern city of Columbus, Ohio, ranked as the city with the fastest car commute, at around 22 minutes. It's three minutes faster than the average 25 minutes commuters spend getting to and from work.

Gonzalez says Columbus was the only city that got a perfect score just for its speed.

"It got a 96% when it comes to the cost, so these two categories really bumped it into the top overall spot," she added.

Over the course of a year, the difference in time adds up to 13 hours, according to the Lyft report. Columbus, Ohio, is one of only two cities that does not experience slower travel during commuting hours, with it being 1.3% faster.

The report also found that Columbus is one of the lower-density cities where parking is often under $40 a month, compared to New York City, where it costs at least $350.

According to Lyft data, Columbus' downtown activity now exceeds 2019 levels.

Columbus is the capital of Ohio and home to The Ohio State University and the iconic Ohio Stadium. It is also known as the birthplace of the Wendy's restaurant chain.

Top 10 U.S. cities with the fastest car commutes

1. Columbus, Ohio
2. Las Vegas, Nev.
3. Memphis, Tenn.
4. Fresno, Calif.
5. El Paso, Texas
6. Detroit, Mich.
7. San Diego, Calif.
8. Milwaukee, Wis.
9. Tucson, Ariz.
10. Jacksonville, Fla.

Las Vegas ranked as the No. 2 city with the fastest car commute. The average commute time in Sin City is 25.6 minutes.

Aside from Columbus, Ohio, Las Vegas was the only other city that did not experience slower travel during commuting hours, which was 6.3% faster.

The Nevada city also had one of the highest percentages of people carpooling to work, according to Lyft.

The city has seen an influx in development in recent years. Thousands of businesses, homebuyers and job seekers have relocated to the Las Vegas area, according to CNBC.

In 2023, 40.8 million visitors flocked to Las Vegas, up from 5.2% in 2022.

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