Long Distance Love: The Lengths People Will Go for Love

Our recent survey of 3,000 Americans has shed light on the maximum distance the average American is willing to travel for a long-distance relationship. On average, respondents said they would travel for 4 hours and 47 minutes to maintain the relationship. The results varied by state, with Alaskans willing to travel the farthest at 7 hours and 30 minutes, while New Mexicans were the least willing at 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Over half of those surveyed (51%) credited the success of long-distance relationships to advancements in video calling technology. Trust was seen as the most important virtue in these relationships (54%), followed by communication (26%), patience (10%), independence (6%), and emotional support (4%).

The survey also found that 44% of respondents would find a long-distance relationship more appealing if their partner lived in a desirable location such as Miami or Hawaii. Half of those in long-distance relationships reported writing physical love letters to their partner. However, despite these efforts, 42% of Americans still do not consider long-distance relationships as real.