Philadelphia man flies to Atlanta for work and breaks down the surprising cost of his 800-mile commute
Published on Mar 28, 2026 at 8:52 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 27, 2026 at 8:22 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
At a distance of around 800 miles, the idea of a commute from Philadelphia to Atlanta to get to your desk sounds like a resignation letter waiting to happen.
Yet there is one man from America who does just that, and in December 2025, he broke down the cost of travelling to work across the two states.
Daniel Rodriguez is a ‘super commuter’, and when we first read this story, we thought it was pure fantasy, but it is very real.
However, when you read into why he makes this commute, it suddenly begins to make sense.
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Why Daniel Rodriguez flies 800 miles to get to work
Rodriguez was living in Philadelphia, but he was struggling to find a job in his city.
So that led to an expanded job search, which meant he was able to find a job in Atlanta.
Now, you might be wondering why he, his wife, and family didn’t just move to Atlanta.
It transpired there was a good reason for this.
As it was a hybrid role, Rodriguez didn’t need to be in the office all week.
He and his wife then worked out that it was cheaper to do a long commute than to uproot their lives and move across the United States.
The fact that it is even possible is certainly a surprise.
But the cost of his commute might surprise you even more.
Rodriguez revealed everything when speaking to CNBC.
This is what it costs for the long super-commute
He will typically spend two to three days a week in Atlanta, with the rest of that time at home in Philly.
The commute isn’t just by plane, either.
It also consists of him having to take a bus and train each way, too.
A typical morning commute sees him wake up at 3:30am.
By 5:30 am, he is on the plane, and in the office by 8:30 am at the latest.
Roughly, that is a time of around five hours, from waking up to getting into the office from Philadelphia.
“I’m working from the airport, I’m working from the plane,” he said.
It costs Rodriguez $240 each week to get to work.
While there, he pays $400 a month to stay at a friend’s in Atlanta.
It feels wild that an 800-mile commute is cheaper than simply moving house.
Compared to the American average, Rodriguez has a much longer commute time.
In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau showed that the average commute time in America was 27.6 minutes, with a later study showing a similar time in 2025.
In terms of single commute times, New York often has the longest, with anything from 30 minutes up to 44 minutes.
Conversely, North Dakota currently has the shortest average commute time at 17.5 minutes.
So if you think your journey to work is bad, just think of what Daniel Rodriguez has to do each week.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
