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Traffic heat map of Union County, North Carolina: 722 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on Independence Boulevard

Union County, North Carolina Traffic Counts

Its drivers come from neighborhoods among the top 3 counties in North Carolina for household income. This page breaks down traffic in Union County, North Carolina across 722 miles of monitored roads split into 24,158 segments, using multi-sourced mobile and sensor data. It goes beyond raw counts to truck flow, congestion and who is driving, so site selection and route planning rest on evidence.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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total traffic icon

Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Union County, North Carolina

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day6,040
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

6.3%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

30.0 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

17.1%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

45.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$104,529

Our data shows 6,040 vehicles per day on the average road in Union County, North Carolina, and 4,644,608 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈1.7 billion per year) across its 722 miles of monitored roads. Trucks are a smaller part of the mix than across North Carolina: 6.3% against 8.7%.

Shorter trips than 86% of counties in North Carolina

At 6,040 vehicles per day, the average road in Union tracks closely with the state average of 6,332 vehicles per day. Across the whole network, that travel is about 1.7% of North Carolina's statewide total. By volume, Union's 6,040 vehicles per day outpaces 75% of counties in North Carolina.

The average trip takes 30.0 minutes, 7% lower than the state level. 86% of counties in North Carolina have a longer average travel time than Union's 30.0 minutes.

The congestion ratio of 17.1% runs slightly lower than the state level (8% lower).

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Union County, North Carolina

Trafficvehicles per day17,708
Trucks9.6%
Average travel time36.9 min
Congestion ratio32.7%
Drivers’ average age45.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income$80,963

A significant share of driving in Union County, North Carolina, 30% of vehicle-miles, happens on highways. The average highway carries 17,708 vehicles per day, 230% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 5,370 vehicles per day.

With 15% of the road miles (108 miles in 1,312 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 1,394,690 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈509 million per year).

By highway travel volume, Union outranks 69% of counties in North Carolina.

Lower highway truck share than 71% of counties in North Carolina

The concentration of trucks on highways (9.6%) is 21% lower than the state average for similar road classifications. Highways here mostly serve passenger trips, so local access matters more than long-haul routing for logistics operators.

71% of counties in North Carolina see a higher highway truck share than Union's 9.6%. By raw truck volume, Union carries more highway trucks than 57% of counties in North Carolina.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Union County, North Carolina

Trafficvehicles per day5,370
Trucks4.9%
Average travel time29.6 min
Congestion ratio16.2%
Drivers’ average age46.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income$111,738

Local roads carry more than half of all travel in Union County, North Carolina (70% of vehicle-miles). The average non-highway road carries 5,370 vehicles per day.

Local roads also make up about 85% of the monitored road miles: 614 miles in 22,846 segments, together carrying 3,249,918 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈1.2 billion per year). The truck share on non-highway roads is 4.9%.

Drivers from higher-income areas than 99% of counties in North Carolina

The concentration of trucks on non-highway roads is 49% lower than on highways.

Non-highway congestion (16.2%) runs slightly lower than the state level (9% lower).

Trip origins here have higher average income than 99% of counties in North Carolina. 82% of counties in North Carolina have an older driver population than Union.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Union County, North Carolina, the peak hour concentrates about 8% of the day's traffic.

Union County vs. North Carolina Traffic Comparison

Union County's biggest difference from the North Carolina average is its truck share, 27% below it. Its highway truck share is also 21% below.

MetricUnion CountyNorth Carolina averageDifference
Traffic6,0406,332-4.6%
Truck % (Total Traffic)6.3%8.7%-27.4%
Truck % (Highway)9.6%12.1%-20.5%
Avg. Travel Time30.0 min32.3 min-7.2%

How Union County compares

Union County against nearby counties

Union County tracks the 4 areas around it closely - no measure in this table sets it far apart from the areas immediately next to it, though it has the third busiest roads of the five.

Union County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the North Carolina average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Union County6,0406.3%4,644,60830.0 min17.1%
Cabarrus County, North Carolina7,8666.6%5,426,59533.8 min20.7%
Lancaster County, South Carolina4,3566.7%1,879,32734.2 min10.9%
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina12,2847.2%27,739,27232.2 min28.8%
Stanly County, North Carolina4,1766.7%1,298,28631.5 min10.9%
North Carolina average6,3328.7%N/A32.3 min18.6%

Union County ranked within North Carolina

On average driver income, Union County is among the three highest county-level areas in North Carolina.

Union County ranked among 100 county-level areas in North Carolina (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 97.
MeasureUnion CountyNorth Carolina rank
Traffic volume (AADT)6,040#26 of 100
Highway vehicle-miles per day1,394,690#31 of 97
Truck share on highways9.6%#69 of 97
Highway trucks per day1,700#42 of 97
Average travel time30.0 min#86 of 100
Average driver income$104,529#2 of 100
Average driver age45.9 yrs#82 of 100

The two ends of this table sit far apart: #2 of 100 on average driver income, against #86 of 100 on average travel time.

Busiest roads in Union County, North Carolina

The three busiest roads in Union County average 47,188 vehicles a day, 7.8 times the county average of 6,040 across all its monitored roads.

Independence Boulevard is the busiest road, at 68,479 vehicles a day, 6,274 of them trucks (9.2%). No other road comes close: Providence Road, in second place, carries 37,670. It tops the truck ranking too, with the most trucks.

Carroll M. Edwards Highway carries longer journeys than most roads here, with a median trip of 52.0 minutes against 30.0 county-wide.

Providence Road draws drivers from wealthier areas: their neighborhoods average $152,893 in household income, 46% above the county's $104,529, while those on Marshville Boulevard average $67,148, 36% below it.

Freight stands out on Carroll M. Edwards Highway: trucks are 12.0% of the traffic there, against 6.3% county-wide.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Independence BoulevardMotorway · 68,479vehicles6,274trucks · 9.2%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
59.2%
Median trip time
35.1 min
Drivers’ median age
44.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$93,481

Travel on Independence Boulevard's busiest stretch runs 59% over free-flow time, against 17% across the county, so expect slower peak hours.

2Providence RoadPrimary road · 37,670vehicles1,415trucks · 3.8%
Road class
Primary road
Congestion ratio
47.1%
Median trip time
30.1 min
Drivers’ median age
46.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$152,893

A main artery: Providence Road's busiest stretch carries 6.2 times the county average; trucks are 3.8% of it, below the county-wide 6.3%.

3Roosevelt BoulevardTrunk road · 35,415vehicles2,358trucks · 6.7%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
40.7%
Median trip time
36.9 min
Drivers’ median age
46.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$79,597

Roosevelt Boulevard is a trunk route for the county, carrying 5.9 times the county average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 6.7% of it, above the county-wide 6.3%.

4I 485Motorway · 31,326vehicles2,346trucks · 7.5%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
71.2%
Median trip time
35.5 min
Drivers’ median age
45.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$112,023

I 485 is one of the more congested roads here: trips take 71% longer than at free-flow speed, against 17% county-wide.

5Carroll M. Edwards HighwayMotorway · 27,988vehicles3,361trucks · 12.0%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
24.8%
Median trip time
52.0 min
Drivers’ median age
45.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$67,746

Carroll M. Edwards Highway carries 4.6 times the county average at its busiest, 3,361 of them trucks (12.0%, above the county-wide 6.3%).

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Independence BoulevardMotorway · #1 by traffic68,479vehicles6,274trucks · 9.2%
2Carroll M. Edwards HighwayMotorway · #5 by traffic27,988vehicles3,361trucks · 12.0%
3Marshville BoulevardTrunk road · 26,855vehicles2,643trucks · 9.8%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
35.3%
Median trip time
46.6 min
Drivers’ median age
46.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$67,148

Marshville Boulevard carries through traffic: the median trip using it lasts 46.6 minutes, against 30.0 for the county.

4Roosevelt BoulevardTrunk road · #3 by traffic35,415vehicles2,358trucks · 6.7%
5I 485Motorway · #4 by traffic31,326vehicles2,346trucks · 7.5%
How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

UnionDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Union County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Union County, North Carolina.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.