Chicago-Naperville Among Top U.S. Metro Areas Where Residents Can ‘Forget About Cars’
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — A new national report highlights the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area as one of the best places in America to live without heavily depending on a car. According to 2023 U.S. Census data analyzed by Datawrapper, the region ranks fourth nationwide for the number of residents living in areas where non-car commuting exceeds 50%.
The study examined the top 30 U.S. metropolitan regions with the highest populations living in neighborhoods where walking, biking, carpooling, or using public transportation are the main commuting methods — surpassing personal car use.
Chicago-Naperville’s Place Among the Nation’s Most Transit-Friendly Metros
The New York–Newark–Jersey City metro dominated the list with more than 7.3 million residents living in non-car-dominant areas. Following that, Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington secured second and third place.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro came in fourth, with approximately 257,689 residents living in neighborhoods where fewer than half of commuters drive alone to work.
“Despite a more extensive transit system, Chicago comes in fourth behind the dense East Coast pair of Boston and Philadelphia,” the report noted.
Experts point out that Chicago’s mix of commuter trains, urban walkability, and growing bike infrastructure helps it remain a strong contender among the nation’s most transit-oriented regions.
Midwestern Cities Stand Out
In addition to the Chicago metro, Madison, Wisconsin (31,052 residents) and Ann Arbor, Michigan (30,474) also made the list — two college towns known for their walkable campuses and high rates of public transit use. Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, home to the University of Illinois, ranked closely behind with 30,424 residents in non-car-dependent zones.
The report noted that “the dense Big Ten campuses in Madison, Ann Arbor, and Champaign-Urbana all clock in above much larger metros,” demonstrating how university communities often lead in multimodal commuting options.
Shifting Away From Car Dependency
Transportation experts say the findings reflect a broader shift in urban and suburban lifestyles, as younger residents prioritize walkability, sustainability, and reduced commuting stress.
For Naperville in particular, local planners have been investing in pedestrian-friendly downtown corridors, bike-share programs, and Metra accessibility improvements to connect commuters to Chicago and surrounding suburbs more efficiently.
“There’s a growing desire to live in areas where you can walk to a café, take the train to work, and leave the car at home,” said one Chicago-area urban planning analyst.
The Top 10 Cities Where You Can ‘Forget About Cars’
- New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA — 7,326,630 residents
- Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA-NH — 403,242 residents
- Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — 313,459 residents
- Chicago–Naperville–Elgin, IL-IN-WI — 257,689 residents
- San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA — 234,374 residents
- Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — 193,427 residents
- Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA — 186,039 residents
- Urban Honolulu, HI — 66,231 residents
- San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad, CA — 62,394 residents
- Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA — 58,049 residents
What American cities can you forget about cars in? Ranking the top 30 by the number of people living in areas with >50% non-car mode share.
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A Model for the Future
As infrastructure evolves, the Chicago-Naperville region’s balance between urban density and suburban connectivity could serve as a model for other metropolitan areas hoping to reduce car reliance.
For now, the city’s position among the top four non-car metros in the U.S. reinforces what many residents already know: whether by foot, bike, bus, or train, the Chicago region remains one of the most accessible and connected in the nation.
Stay informed on Illinois urban development and transit trends at NapervilleLocal.com.
I’ve lived in Naperville long enough to see how quickly our community changes — from new developments downtown to sudden shifts in our Midwest weather. Reporting on Naperville news and daily forecasts gives me the chance to keep neighbors informed about what really matters. My goal is simple: deliver clear, timely updates so you always know what’s happening in our city and what to expect from the skies above.