Commuting constitutes a routine aspect of daily life, exerting cumulative effects on both physical health and psychological well-being. This study explores variations in commuting stress and examines the relationship between commuting stress, traffic climate, and travel satisfaction among residents of West Yorkshire, United Kingdom. A cross-sectional survey of 935 adults was conducted, using Multimodal Commuting Stress Scale, Traffic Climate Scale, Scale for Travel Satisfaction, and detailed demographic and commuting characteristics. The analyses revealed distinct modal and socio-demographic patterns. Regular users of public transportation reported lower levels of satisfaction with their travel experiences and experienced greater psychophysical strain compared to regular drivers and pedestrians. Drivers encountered fewer issues related to physical safety and security than both public transport users and pedestrians. Pedestrians reported being less affected by travel hindrances and inefficiencies. In comparison to drivers, public transport users perceived the traffic system as less safe, characterised by reduced functionality and increased emotional demands. Men reported to experience greater travel satisfaction, along with lower psychophysical strains, safety and security concerns, and internal requirements than women. Older road users reported greater travel satisfaction and internal requirements, alongside reduced psychophysical strain, inefficiency, and inconvenience. Among the demographic factors and constructs associated with commuting stress and traffic climate, functionality and internal requirements were positively, and external affective demands, inefficiency and inconvenience, psychophysical strain, and travel hindrance were negatively associated with travel satisfaction. The findings indicate that higher commuting stress is associated with lower travel satisfaction and commuters who frequently use public transportation experience heightened safety concerns and psychological stress. The findings identify leverage points for reducing stress and enhancing the day-to-day travel experiences in West Yorkshire. Practically, the results support investments aimed at improving reliability of public transport and promoting active travel and courteous, rule-abiding behaviours among road users.