What Were the Forms of 1930s Transportation?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 07, 2023

The main forms of transportation in the 1930s were automobiles and trains. By the end of the decade, commercial air travel grew in popularity. Travelers began to have new methods of transportation opened to them.

By the start of the 1930s, nearly half of American families owned a car. For many, the automobile became a necessity in the era of traveling salesmen. Following the first World War, people also began to turn to highways for pleasure trips. As a result, the government started to build up the national highway system, resulting in the creation of the iconic Route 66. Rail travel was still the most popular way to take long trips, but as advancement in air travel increased, people started looking at flying as a viable alternative.