Ride-hailing Insights across 30 countries

Written by

Phuong Doan

A marketing professional focused on transforming insights into accessible content that help audiences better understand consumers and markets.

Key Insights from the TGM Global Ride-Hailing Insights 2026

Ride-Hailing in North America: Widely Available, Selectively Used

Ride-hailing in North America is widely available, but used selectively rather than as a daily transportation option.

Across North America, ride-hailing service is integrated into everyday mobility habits. People commute to work, run errands, and even travel long distances, all with a few taps on their smartphones. Supported by the region’s well-developed digital ecosystem, ride-hailing platforms have established themselves as a reliable alternative to traditional transportation options.

These patterns are explored in more detail in our latest TGM Global Ride-Hailing Insights 2026, which explores how consumers across the region incorporate the service into their daily routines.

Key Takeaways

Based on the TGM Global Ride-Hailing Insights 2026, North America is a mature market where ride-hailing is a standard tool, yet its usage remains more situational than habitual for the majority of users.
Most users rely on ride-hailing only a few times per month, not as their main transportation.
Convenience, time-saving are the main reasons consumers book rides.
In both Canada and America, daytime travel dominates usage for errands, appointments, and work-related trips.
Ride-hailing in North America is closely tied to social and leisure activities, creating strong context-based engagement opportunities for brands.

Ride-Hailing is Used Selectively in the US and Canada

While ride-hailing services are widely available across North America, adoption remains relatively moderate. According to the TGM Global Ride-Hailing Insights 2026 in North America, around 50% of surveyed consumers report using ride-hailing services. The findings are based on a sample of 2,006 respondents, indicating that the service is not yet a universal part of everyday transportation.

The most significant insight lies in the frequency distribution. Common usage rate in North America is only 2–3 times per month (TGM Global Ride-Hailing in North America, N=2006). For the average North American user, ride-hailing is not a primary daily commute option (which would require 2+ times a week). It is likely reserved for social outings, airport transfers, or as a backup when personal vehicles are unavailable.

While there is a healthy segment of power users (weekly or more), "once a month" and "once every few months" options indicate a high volume of low-frequency users. They know the apps exist and have them installed, but they don't yet view them as a total replacement for car ownership.

Chart showing ride-hailing usage frequency in North America, where around half of respondents use ride-hailing services, with 2–3 times per month being the most common usage frequency.

Peak Usage Occurs During the Day

Ride-hailing patterns in North America tends to concentrate during daytime hours rather than traditional commuting periods. Evening commute and late-night usage appear to be less common.

Data from the TGM Ride-Hailing Insights 2026 in North America (N=2006) indicates that 64% of users take ride-hailing trips during daytime hours. This pattern suggests that ride-hailing is often used for daytime activities such as attending appointments, running errands, or traveling across the city for meetings.

As a result, ride-hailing becomes less about routine transportation and more about helping consumers manage their time efficiently throughout the day. By removing the need to drive or search for parking, the service allows users to move between activities more smoothly and focus on other priorities during busy schedules.

Convenience Is Becoming a Productivity Tool

Beyond transportation, ride-hailing is increasingly perceived as a way to optimize time. Instead of spending time driving, parking, or navigating traffic, consumers can use the travel time to plan their day or simply reduce the mental load of commuting.

This reflects a broader consumer mindset across North America: ride-hailing is less about mobility access and more about reducing friction in time-sensitive situations, and services that help optimize it are more likely to be adopted.

Both the ride-hailing patterns in the United States and ride-hailing behavior in Canada show a similar pattern, where ride-hailing usage only peaks during daytime hours and consumers rarely use weekly. In markets with digital services that are deeply embedded in daily life, ride-hailing becomes a productivity tool, which helps save time.

Bar chart comparing ride-hailing usage by time of day in the USA and Canada, showing highest usage during afternoon/daytime and lower usage in late night.

What This Means for the Future of Ride-Hailing in North America

The selective and context-driven nature of ride-hailing adoption in North America shapes how and when brands can effectively engage consumers.

Mobility moments are intent-driven, not passive: Ride-hailing is typically used in specific situations where convenience matters most, such as mid-day travel or time-sensitive activities. This makes each trip a higher-intent moment, where consumers are more receptive to relevant and context-aware messaging rather than broad, always-on advertising.
Daytime usage creates different engagement windows: With usage concentrated during daytime hours, ride-hailing interactions are more likely to occur alongside work, errands, or scheduled activities. Here lies an opportunity from entertainment-driven engagement (e.g., late-night usage) to more functional, utility-based touchpoints.
Context matters more than frequency: Because ride-hailing is not a daily habit for most users, engagement strategies should focus on specific use cases rather than repeated exposure. Targeting moments of need may be more effective than building continuous visibility.

The Bottom Line: In North America, ride-hailing is less a habitual behavior and more a situational tool. This shifts the focus from scale to context, where relevance at the right moment matters more than reach alone.

For a broader regional perspective, explore our analysis on ride-hailing adoption in Latin America and the key factors influencing consumer choice beyond price.