No matter what time you leave the house for work, the cold, dark mornings of winter make getting up and getting out the door a drag. But some cities— those cities with the earliest commute times in the U.S. — get up and go earlier than others.

According to a new study by LLC.org, several Phoenix area commuter cities rank within the top 25 cities in the nation for earliest commute start times. 

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Peoria ranks 4th in the nation for earliest commutes. In Peoria, Arizona, 35.9% of commuters are on the road before 7 a.m.

Elsewhere, Mesa ranks 16th and Glendale ranks 25th. 

Analyzing data from the Census Bureau, the study uncovers which cities have the highest percentage of workers who begin their commutes before 7 a.m.

Here are the highlights for Peoria, Arizona:

  • Number of workers who commute: 75,692
  • Average commute time: 26.9 minutes
  • Number of workers who commute before 7 a.m.: 27,206
  • Percent of workers who commute before 7 a.m.: 35.9%

Nationwide, 36.5 million workers (or 26.9% of commuters) begin their morning commute before 7 a.m. 

Cities with the Earliest Commutes

Percent of workers who leave for work before 7 a.m.

Where do workers sleep in the most?

Considering California’s laid-back lifestyle, it’s fitting that many of the top five cities with the latest commute start times are located in the Golden State. 

Commuters in Sunnyvale, California, are the most laid-back, with 33.4% of residents beginning their drive to work after 8:30 a.m. Sunnyvale commuters also benefit from a relatively breezy average commute time of 22 minutes. 

The “late commute” trend continues in Irvine (No. 3), where 25.6% of commuters do the same, as well as in San Francisco, CA (No. 4), with 24.2% opting for a later start to their workday.

Heading to the other side of the country, Washington, D.C. comes in at No. 2, where 29.3% of workers start their day after 8:30 a.m. Atlanta, Georgia, also embraces a relaxed approach at No. 5, with 23.8% of commuters getting started after the 8:30 a.m. mark.

For context, only 12% of commuters nationwide leave for work after 8:30 a.m., according to the Census Bureau.