Are you trying to plan out a short commute and wondering how much time it will actually take? While circumstances that impact travel time can change, we researched the topic from multiple professional sources so that you'll know how much time you will need to allot.
There is a mathematical formula to determine how long it will take you to travel any distance. That formula is Time=Distance/Speed. To determine how long it will take to go 20 miles, you will need to determine what speed you will be traveling at.
Now that we know that various factors will determine how long traveling 20 minutes will take, we'll take a closer look at each one individually. You might also be wondering how long it will take to walk 20 minutes or how many steps it takes to travel 20 miles. For the answers to all of these questions and more, read ahead in this post to see what we've discovered.
The factors that determine travel time
Using the simple formula we wrote about above can easily help you figure out a commute. We'll go through some examples to show you exactly how this works.
Fun with mathematics
Say you want to know how long it takes to go 20 miles. Suppose you are driving and can go 60 miles per hour. The formula would look like this:
Time=20/60
Time would equal .3333. To see how many minutes this is, remember that there are 60 minutes in an hour. Multiply .3333 by 60, and you get 19.998, which you can easily round up to 20 minutes.
But let's suppose you are driving in a slower speed zone and can only travel at 25 miles per hour. How would the formula look then?
Time=20/25
Time, in this case, would equal 0.8 for the unit of time. To see what .8 would translate to in minutes, do what we did above and multiply it by 60. This will yield an answer of 48 minutes.
Outside factors can add time
Keep in mind that this formula assumes that you will be traveling at a constant speed for commuting purposes. There are varying factors that can impede traveling at a constant rate. These can include traffic congestion, construction, and roadway hazards, among other issues.
To give yourself enough time to make any commute, it's a great idea to check the travel conditions beforehand. This means traffic reports, possible detours, and the weather. Remember that snow, ice, and even rain can slow down a typical commute substantially.
Plan your route carefully, and always double-check your math. Keep in mind the factors that may slow you down, and you should be able to plan out your ETA with great precision.
How many miles do you drive in an hour?
If you've ever wondered how many miles you drive in an hour, you can get a quick answer to this question by understanding what the term miles per hour means. This rate of speed determines just how far you will go if driven at that constant rate for a one-hour increment.
We know this sounds pretty elementary. But for the sake of answering this question, we'll give a few examples. You will go 50 miles in an hour if your speed is 50mph. You will travel 60 miles in that same time frame if your speed is 60mph. Easy enough?
Keep in mind that there are legal speed limits for a number of good reasons. Driving faster will get you to your destination earlier doesn't mean that exceeding those limits is worth the risk.
How long is the average commute?
If you must travel more than a few miles to get to and from your job, you are not alone in America. Tens of millions of Americans must commute each day, often traveling outside of the municipality where they live and traveling to another for work. The average time spent doing so might surprise you.
In 2021, the United States Census released data that showed the average commute in the States was 27.6 minutes. The data shows that this time is an all-time high and includes all forms of travel.
The data also shows that the percentage of persons commuting less than 10 minutes dropped by several percentage points, while the number commuting over 60 minutes increased by roughly the same amount. This could mean that people are moving further away from their jobs or that there is an increase in traffic congestion.
How long does it take to bike 20 miles?
Whether you're traveling by car or by bicycle, the mathematical formula will be the same. One thing to consider here is that the rate of speed for a car traveler can be anywhere from 1 mph up to well over 100 mph. Bicycle travelers cannot achieve these speeds.
The average rate for bicycle travel will vary based on geographic layout, skill level, athleticism, and type of bicycle. In general terms, though, it's relatively typical for a cyclist to be able to travel at speeds that average 15 miles per hour.
With that in mind, let's go back to the formula we used earlier in this post. Recall that Time=Distance/Speed. In this case, you would calculate that Time=20/15.
At a cycling speed of 15 miles per hour, time would equal 1.3333. Multiply that by 60 will show you the time in minutes, which is 80.
How long of a walk are 20 miles?
As we've discussed earlier, the rate of speed determines how long it takes to get from point A to point B. Knowing that you will travel much slower on foot than you will on a car or a bicycle, it shouldn't be a surprise that it will take a lot longer to walk 20 miles.
The typical person will walk at a rate that averages three to four miles per hour. Using the Time=Distance/Speed formula, we can calculate that a person walking 4 miles per hour will travel 20 miles in five hours.
How many steps does it take to walk 20 miles?
We know that it will take five hours to travel 20 miles on foot if the walker is traveling at a rate of four miles per hour. But determining how many steps this is isn't quite as simple as using the formula we've been using to determine time.
The length of a stride will vary from one person to another. If we use the average length of a stride as outlined by Healthline, we can suppose that each step a person takes will equal 2.5 feet. Now that we have that amount, we need to do a little bit of multiplying for our answer.
A mile is 5,280 feet. Using simple math, you can divide that number by the length of a step (2.5) and determine that there are 2,112 steps in a mile. Multiply the number of steps in a mile by 20, and the product is 42,240 steps in 20 miles.
Final thoughts
The amount of time it takes to travel any distance is found by using a simple mathematical formula. When planning on how much time any trip will take, it's important to understand that that formula is based on a constant speed. As there are many variables that could slow your speed, you should always factor in certain allowances so that you don't underestimate the time it will take to get from point A to point B. Travel safe!
Thanks for reading! For more helpful traveling information, we suggest the following posts:
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