Birmingham

Shortest commutes to Downtown Birmingham

Ranked on distance to Downtown Birmingham at 50% and the mean commute time residents report to the Census at 50%. The mean commute includes people who work locally, which is why the two numbers do not always agree.

Updated Sep 2026·22 suburbs considered, 10 listed
1
Mountain Brook, AL
Mountain Brook$916k median · 16.4 min commute
Commute B+Housing A−Cost of living F
99
Commute score
overall 75 B
2
Homewood$559k median · 17.1 min commute
Commute A−Housing BCost of living C−
99
Commute score
overall 78 B+
3
Welcome to Vestavia Hills Alabama with Sybil Temple as enter town from Highway 31 (Montgomery Highway)
Vestavia Hills$530k median · 19.3 min commute
Commute B+Housing B+Cost of living D+
95
Commute score
overall 72 B−
4
The skyline of Birmingham, Alabama, home to an estimated population of 196,357 people.
Birmingham$159k median · 20.8 min commute
Commute B+Housing FCost of living B
94
Commute score
overall 51 D+
5
This is a photograph of the Irondale Cafe in Irondale, Alabama (just outside Birmingham). The restaurant was the inspiration for the Whistlestop Cafe in the boo
Irondale$256k median · 22.3 min commute
Commute C+Housing C−Cost of living B
85
Commute score
overall 49 D+
6
Riverchase Galleria in 2026
Hoover$412k median · 25.2 min commute
Commute CHousing B−Cost of living C
75
Commute score
overall 71 B−
7
Gardendale Civic Center. July 14, 2015.
Gardendale$253k median · 26.2 min commute
Commute C−Housing CCost of living B−
73
Commute score
overall 55 C−
8
Leeds$225k median · 27.0 min commute
Commute DHousing C−Cost of living B
67
Commute score
overall 54 C−
9
Jefferson County Courthouse in Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer$136k median · 26.2 min commute
Commute D+Housing FCost of living B
66
Commute score
overall 37 F
10
Hueytown$155k median · 26.4 min commute
Commute D+Housing D+Cost of living B
66
Commute score
overall 43 D
This list's weighting
Distance to downtown 50%Mean commute time 50%
Other Birmingham lists
Best Birmingham suburbs for familiesMost affordable Birmingham suburbsBest Birmingham suburbs for schoolsMost walkable Birmingham suburbsBest Birmingham suburbs for young professionalsHow we score Birmingham suburbs →

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Mountain Brook (Robert Donovan from Franklin, TN, USA · CC BY 2.0); Vestavia Hills (Sharon Phelan Evans · CC BY-SA 3.0); Birmingham (Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0); Irondale (Rivers Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0); Hoover (Johntrinh06 · CC BY 4.0); Gardendale (Amcannally · CC BY-SA 4.0); Bessemer (Rudi Weikard · CC BY-SA 3.0).