Anyone know where you can find out the rush hour(s) in your city?

[raccoon]

I've googled but haven't found anything.

[Auggie]

1. In the San Francisco Bay Area ...

it's from 6:00 am until about 7 - 8:00 pm

[NV Whino]

2. !

[blogslut]

3. I would imagine rush hour coincides with...

the hours involved with going to work, going to lunch and going home from work. Then there are the social events that reflect the culture of your town. Mine is very religious so there's traffic for folks going to and from church and the other religion, football games.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Don't need Google....

We live on a bluff above the 2 lane road that channels cars into town..
About 100 go by around 8-9 am
and 5-6 pm.
then very few the rest of the time.
Despite the crowded hectic traffic at those times, it is nice here.

We time our shopping for between 10 am and 2 pm,. and avoid most traffic.
99% of the time there will nothing but open road when I drive to town, looks like this:

[raccoon]

6. Picture remains me of the area where I grew up. (Not where I live now.) nt

[Heddi]

5. use google maps

IT's a PITA but go to google mapsfor the city of your interest at typical rush hour times, see what the traffic looks like

[underahedgerow]

7. I use google maps to check traffic conditions. If you set the departure point and destinations

you'll get a live graphic on traffic flow and approximate time to the destination.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. According to my cousin, who has lived in several US time zones

Standard work hours are usually 9-5 in Eastern and Pacific time zones and 8-4 in Central and Mountain. An hour or two either way probably constitutes rush hour in those areas, especially if folks commute. That's one reason I chose to work nights.

[haele]

9. Check the SigAlert website if you have one for your city and track an average work week.

That site will give you almost real-time speeds of traffic (usually lags 2 minutes), so you can get an idea how you need to schedule your work day.
Other than that, ask your neighbors and your co-workers when the congestion hits.

I know it's hard to map where I live; San Diego has different traffic depending on schedules, roads, and weather.
Different freeways have different rush hours, depending on 1) where the worksites are (and the hours at those sites) and where the majority of residence density for the employees at those worksites are, or 2) what events are going on that affect specific freeways or highways at specific locations.

In my experience, San Diego "rush hour" congestion within the city boundaries typically starts at 6:00 am(morning) and 2:30pm(afternoon/evening) going into the city center area, and ends at 9:00 am and 7:00 pm going out of the city center area, with a 1 hour shift in the afternoon depending on which direction you are travelling at the time and how far out from the denser work site locations or down-town you are.
And except for choke-point freeway/highway intersections, traffic usually isn't that terribly bad; one tends to be moving, even if it is at 20 mph with the stop and go. (on edit, adding) Unlike in Los Angeles, where I have sat in I-5 traffic for 3/4 minutes stop and go for two/three miles at 5:30 am - and I was nowhere near a major on-ramp/off-ramp or intersection.

On average, it's 12 freeway miles between my worksite near the main airport and my home, most of the places I shop at, and doctor's offices I need to go to. While it might take 25 - 30 minutes for me to get home towards the middle of rush hour, it might only take me 15 minutes to get to my doctor's, taking a different route that has me going against traffic at the very same time. And since a major employer in the area promotes "off Fridays" work, every other Friday is clear sailing; like driving over the weekend.

Haele

[Generic Brad]

10. I look out my window

That is one of the benefits of living in a downtown high rise.