If you're considering a move to Durango from a larger city, one of the biggest adjustments may be how you think about commute times.
In many cities, a 20-minute commute could mean you live five miles from work—or 15 miles from work—depending on traffic. On the right day, that same trip might suddenly take half as long.
Durango works a little differently.
If you live 20 minutes outside of town, your drive is generally going to take about 20 minutes. There usually isn't a magical no-traffic day that suddenly turns it into a 10-minute commute.
That can be important when you're deciding where to live, particularly if you're considering a home outside Durango.
Think in minutes as much as miles
When I'm helping someone compare an in-town Durango home with a property in the surrounding area, drive time can be more useful than simply looking at mileage.
A rural property may give you more land, privacy, views, or a completely different lifestyle—but if it's 20 minutes from town, you should plan on roughly that drive as part of everyday life.
The upside is that you're generally driving rather than sitting in traffic.
What can make the drive longer?
Weather and road conditions.
Snow is part of living in Southwest Colorado, and winter conditions can turn your normal drive into a longer one. That's especially worth considering when you're looking at rural or mountain properties where elevation and road conditions can vary significantly.
Does Durango have traffic?
We do—by Durango standards.
One place you'll notice it is coming south into town from the Animas Valley and north county during the morning. Once you reach the 32nd Street area, high-school traffic can slow things down.
But in Durango, we're often talking about adding roughly five minutes to the drive. That's a very different calculation from the traffic many people are accustomed to in larger cities.
Drive time should be part of your home search
This is one of those small local details that can make a big difference when you're deciding where to live.
If you're comparing in-town Durango with the Animas Valley, Bayfield, rural La Plata County, or another part of Southwest Colorado, don't just ask how many miles a property is from town. Ask what that drive will actually feel like as part of your normal day.
That's the kind of question I want to answer with the Straight Talk Minute: practical local information that helps you understand not just the real estate, but what it's actually like to live here.
Honest Advice & Straight Talk.
