Well-traveled road effect
The well-traveled road effect is underestimating how long familiar routes take and overestimating how long unfamiliar ones take. One idea is that familiar trips feel shorter because they take less attention.
This idea comes from popular lists of biases rather than from published research, and there is little direct evidence for it.
In everyday life
Someone always leaves 15 minutes for the drive to work, which regularly takes 25, yet sets out far too early for a new store the same distance away.
You are always a few minutes late to your weekly class because you think the usual walk is quicker than it is, yet you leave absurdly early for a party across town at a place you have never been.
Why your mind does this
Trusting people and things we know is usually safe, because familiarity means we have dealt with them before without harm. Favoring our own group helped our ancestors cooperate with the people they depended on. Liking what is close and known also saves the effort of judging everything from scratch.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Familiar is better
How to spot it
Ask whether you have ever actually timed this familiar trip or task.
How to counter it
Time your regular routes once and plan with the measured number instead of your gut sense.
Same family: Familiar is better
SourceWikipedia