--- description: The distances between Americans and some of their favorite (and not-so-favorite) destinations are shrinking title: Are We There Yet? image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [The Answers Issue](/tag/the-answers-issue/) ## The Answers Issue Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Are We There Yet? by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 28, 2014 11:21 AM CUT by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 28, 2014 11:21 AM CUT \[This article consists of an illustration. Please see your hardcopy of magazine.\] MILES MILES 5 10 15 20 25 MCDONALD’S 3 MILES (75% OF AMERICANS) YMCA 5 MILES (80% OF AMERICANS) WALGREENS 5 MILES (75% OF AMERICANS) GUN DEALER 10 MILES (98% OF AMERICANS) POLLUTED WATER 10 MILES (60% OF AMERICANS) STARBUCKS 20 MILES (80% OF AMERICANS) MOM 30 MILES (71% OF MARRIED AMERICANS) 71% of married Americans live within 30 miles of their mother or mother-in-law COMMUNITY COLLEGE 25 MILES (75% OF AMERICANS) MINUTES MINUTES 10 20 30 40 50 REDBOX KIOSK 5 MINUTES (68% OF AMERICANS) BEST BUY 15 MINUTES (70% OF AMERICANS) EMERGENCY CARE 30 MINUTES (71% OF AMERICANS) SMALL AIRPORT 30 MINUTES (98% OF AMERICANS) WORK 30 MINUTES (75% OF AMERICANS) BODY OF WATER 60 MINUTES (90% OF AMERICANS) NATIONAL PARK 60 MINUTES (75% OF AMERICANS) SOURCES: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN RETIREMENT RESEARCH CENTER; EVERYTOWN.ORG; ECONOMIST; JAMES R.A. DAVENPORT; NEW YORK TIMES; NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL; NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS; INNOSIGHT; ANNALS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR; REDBOX; FREE FLIGHT: FROM AIRLINE HELL TO A NEW AGE OF TRAVEL, BY JAMES FALLOWS; BEST BUY; U.S. CENSUS; NATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3204298/are-we-there-yet/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3204298/are-we-there-yet/"},"headline":"Are We There Yet?","datePublished":"2014-08-28T11:21:01.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T09:54:15.470Z","description":"The distances between Americans and some of their favorite (and not-so-favorite) destinations are shrinking","url":"https://time.com/3204298/are-we-there-yet/","keywords":["The Answers Issue"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/the-answers-issue/","name":"The Answers Issue"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3204298/are-we-there-yet/","name":"Are We There Yet?"}}]}] ```