A commuter is someone who travels regularly between their home and work or school, usually making the same trip every day. The journey itself is called a commute. Most commuters travel by car, train, bus, or subway, though some bike or walk if they live close enough.

In big cities like New York or Chicago, millions of commuters pour into downtown offices each morning and flow back out each evening, creating rush hour traffic. A commuter train is designed specifically for these daily travelers, running on schedules that match typical work hours. Some people have short commutes of just fifteen minutes, while others spend two hours each way traveling to work.

Your parents are probably commuters if they drive to work each day. When they talk about their commute being terrible, they mean the traffic was heavy or the train was delayed. A long, difficult commute can be exhausting, which is why many people consider how far they'll need to travel before accepting a new job. Some commuters use their travel time productively by reading, listening to podcasts, or resting.