People were not as dependent on the automobile as they are today. The sprawling suburbs like we know them basically didn't exist until the 50's. Most people lived in or very near a city, all big cities had excellent public transportation. Trolleys were very common (GM and Ford bought most trolley routes in the 50s and 60s and literally ripped the tracks out and replaced them with buses) and most people would travel long distances by train rather than by car. Taking vacations in far off destinations was usually the domain of the very wealthy. If you were an average Joe living in New York you would probably vacation within the immediate region.

The car was important, by it had only supplanted the horse as a means of transportation. It was a important mode of transportation but hadn't yet come to dominate transportation like we know it until the 50's.

http://www.theusaonline.com/people/urbanization.htm http://www.trainweb.org/mts/ctc/ctc06.html http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/road/s18.cfm

Edit: Added Sources

Not a direct answer to your question but some information about the parameters around which travel and commute systems existed at the time. Note that precise statistics are hard to come by as many of the relevant data (and the agencies which compiled them) didn't arrive until later. The US Department of Energy wasn't formed until 1977 (the anniversary of the legislation was just a few days ago). "Car Ownership Statistics" notes that the US Bureau of Transportation didn't start compiling statistics until 1960, at which time "Americans owned 61,671,390 passenger cars, or about one car for every three people", the ratio is now closer to one car per two people, though auto ownership has fallen in recent years (since around 2005).

Ownership costs have also fallen, as the page shows, with a huge jump occurring in the 1960s:

• In 1924, a Chevrolet Superior Roadster cost $490, or about 33% of the average household income.
• In 1935, a Chevrolet Master Deluxe cost $560, or about 37% of the average household income.
• In 1940, a Chevrolet Clipper cost $659, or about 38% of the average household income.
• In 1958, a Chevrolet Impala cost $2,693, or about 45% of the average household income.
• In 1965, a Chevrolet Malibu cost $2,156, or about 7% of the median household income.

(Though I'm not sure these all represent basic / equivalent marque vehicles.)

History.com notes that "Because the manufacture of vehicles for the civilian market ceased in 1942 and tires and gasoline were severely rationed, motor vehicle travel fell dramatically.during the war years.".

By way of Wikipedia, vehicle ownership per 1000 people by decade was:

Citing: "Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 30, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy. 3–5 and 3–9. See Tables 3.3 and 3.5

(Note the fall since 2007, also covered by The Atlantic in "Crash: The Decline of U.S. Driving in 6 Charts ".)

It's also helpful to keep in mind that two of the biggest instigators of driving, the suburb and the Interstate Highway system, didn't exist in 1939. Rather, most people lived either in small towns or large cities, and had relatively self-contained lives. Suburbs emerged in 1947 with Levittown, NY, the Interstate in 1956.

Cities also had very extensive urban transit systems -- many of these were dismantled in the General Motors Streetcar Conspiracy from 1936-1950:

Between 1936 and 1950, National City Lines and Pacific City Lines—with investment from GM, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California, Phillips Petroleum, Mack Trucks, and the Federal Engineering Corporation—purchased electric surface-traction systems in 45 cities including St. Louis, Baltimore, Newark, Los Angeles, Oakland and San Diego and converted them into bus operations. Several of the companies involved were convicted in 1949 of conspiracy to monopolize interstate commerce but were acquitted of conspiring to monopolize the ownership of these companies.

aaca.org, the Antique Automobile Club of America has some feedback from collectors that may be helpful, and also matches up with a few bits and pieces I've found in places like Wikipedia and my grandparents' comments.

A big Packard sedan in perfect running order should get ~15 mpg, of course a little less in town and more on the highway. Packards were equivalent to a Mercedes, a luxury car more well-made and expensive, but less flashy than a Cadillac.

Working class people still had lots of Ford Model A's that managed ~20 mpg at a constant 40-something mph according to fordbarn.com, so likely 10-15 mpg around town depending on traffic and your aging, leaking carburetor.

During WW2, they also instituted nationwide speed limits starting at 55 mph, then dropping to 35 mph.

I also recall (from family) that tires were so scarce and made from such poor rubber that this as much of a bottleneck as gas.

Long story short - expect to be able to drive 30-50 miles/week with your 2 gallons...OR just get more on the black market.

An ordinary A card entitled you to four gallons per week, so about 80 miles. War workers got B cards for eight gallons per week.

Auto ownership was pretty widespread, with one in the majority of suburban, exurban, and rural households. Many of the new defense plants were on the fringes of cities, far from transit lines. Workers carpooled and temporary bus lines were set up to ferry workers at shift changes.

"For the duration," most Americans settled for short vacations in nearby state parks or shore resorts. Ad campaigns asking "is this trip really necessary?" tried to limit demand for train accommodations needed by service members and those doing vital war work. Lengthy vacations weren't really on the minds of most farmers and miners, or industrial workers being pressured to work extra hours.

I see that the Great Streetcar Conspiracy has reared its ugly head in this thread. I can only say that it's utter nonsense, and point you to this post for more detail. The company at the center of the "conspiracy," National City Lines, actually saved quite a few small-city transit systems (by converting them to buses) that would prove very important during the war.

To add to what has been said, the United States Government actively encouraged citizens to carpool. Propaganda posters that promoted participation in the war effort became very common. These posters often had say things like “When you ride alone you ride with Hitler” or “Hitler rides in the empty seat”. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the government worked alongside the oil industry to mount a multimillion dollar campaign to push drivers to take passengers along when they drive. Also, these ads encouraged people on the home front to join or organize “car clubs".