How long is the commute from Des Moines, IA?

Name: Commute and cars in Des Moines, IA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Workers who live in Des Moines, IA take an average of 19.5 minutes to get to work (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

70.9% of workers drive alone to work.

0.8% take public transportation.

2.4% of workers walk to work.

13.1% work from home.

9.0% of households have no vehicle.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Average commute: 19.5 minutes (±0.5)
Public transportation: 0.8%
Work from home: 13.1%
Households without a car: 9.0%

How people in Des Moines get to work

Workers 16 and over by means of transportation to work, 2020–2024
Means of transportation	Des Moines	Polk County	Iowa	United States
Drove alone	70.9% (±1.1 points)	72.4%	76.0%	68.8%
Carpooled	11.0% (±0.8 points)	8.4%	7.8%	8.5%
Public transportation	0.8% (±0.2 points)	0.5%	0.7%	3.2%
Walked	2.4% (±0.4 points)	1.4%	2.9%	2.4%
Other means (bicycle, taxi, motorcycle)	1.8% (±0.3 points)	1.5%	1.4%	2.0%
Worked from home	13.1% (±0.9 points)	15.7%	11.3%	15.1%

In Des Moines, the average commute is not measurably different from Polk County (20.0 minutes).

It is not measurably different from Iowa (19.8 minutes).

It is lower than the national figure (26.4 minutes).

In Des Moines, the share commuting by public transportation is higher than in Polk County (0.5%).

It is not measurably different from Iowa (0.7%).

It is lower than the national figure (3.2%).

In Polk County, Des Moines ranks 13 of 17 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest average commute.

Statewide, it ranks 659 of 918.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Cars per household in Des Moines

Occupied housing units by vehicles available, 2020–2024
Vehicles available	Des Moines	Polk County	Iowa	United States
No vehicle	9.0% (±1.0 points)	5.8%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	38.0% (±1.3 points)	33.5%	30.5%	33.1%
2 vehicles	34.7% (±1.4 points)	39.3%	37.8%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	18.3% (±1.0 points)	21.3%	26.3%	21.9%

In Des Moines, the share of households without a vehicle is higher than in Polk County (5.8%).

It is also higher than in Iowa (5.4%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (8.4%).

Working from home and internet access in Des Moines

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Des Moines	Polk County	Iowa	United States
Workers working from home	13.1% (±0.9 points)	15.7% (±0.6 points)	11.3% (±0.2 points)	15.1%
Households with a computer	96.0% (±0.5 points)	96.9% (±0.3 points)	94.7% (±0.1 points)	95.5%
Households with broadband internet	89.8% (±1.0 points)	91.9% (±0.6 points)	88.9% (±0.2 points)	91.0%

In Des Moines, the share of households with a broadband subscription is lower than in Polk County (91.9%).

It is not measurably different from Iowa (88.9%).

It is lower than the national figure (91.0%).

Average commute in places near Des Moines

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Des Moines
Place	Distance	Average commute	Compared with this place
Des Moines	—	19.5 minutes (±0.5)	—
Pleasant Hill	5.7 mi	22.2 minutes (±3.0)	Not measurably different
Windsor Heights	5.7 mi	14.4 minutes (±1.7)	Lower
Carlisle	7.1 mi	26.2 minutes (±3.5)	Higher
Saylorville	7.5 mi	17.5 minutes (±1.6)	Lower
Norwalk	7.6 mi	21.6 minutes (±1.9)	Higher
Altoona	8.6 mi	22.5 minutes (±1.9)	Higher
West Des Moines	9.0 mi	18.3 minutes (±0.8)	Lower
Urbandale	9.8 mi	18.9 minutes (±0.9)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Windsor Heights, IA (14.4 minutes), Saylorville, IA (17.5 minutes), West Des Moines, IA (18.3 minutes).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Carlisle, IA (26.2 minutes), Norwalk, IA (21.6 minutes), Altoona, IA (22.5 minutes).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Average commute across Polk County, place by place

Rank	Place	Average commute
7	Bondurant	22.3 minutes (±2.1)
8	Pleasant Hill	22.2 minutes (±3.0)
9	Ankeny	21.1 minutes (±1.0)
10	Clive	20.7 minutes (±1.9)
11	Johnston	19.7 minutes (±1.2)
12	Grimes	19.6 minutes (±1.3)
13	Des Moines	19.5 minutes (±0.5)
14	Urbandale	18.9 minutes (±0.9)
15	West Des Moines	18.3 minutes (±0.8)
16	Saylorville	17.5 minutes (±1.6)
17	Windsor Heights	14.4 minutes (±1.7)

Showing 11 of 17 places in Polk County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Des Moines

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Des Moines, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Des Moines beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Des Moines, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Des Moines

How long is the average commute in Des Moines?

Workers who live in Des Moines, IA take an average of 19.5 minutes each way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Can you live in Des Moines without a car?

9.0% of households in Des Moines have no vehicle, and 0.8% of workers commute by public transportation.

How many people work from home in Des Moines?

13.1% (±0.9 points) of workers who live in Des Moines worked from home, and 89.8% of households have a broadband subscription.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Des Moines city, Iowa (place:21000, in state:19).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP03_0018E, DP03_0018M, DP03_0025E, DP03_0025M, DP03_0019PE, DP03_0019PM, DP03_0020PE, DP03_0020PM, DP03_0021PE, DP03_0021PM, DP03_0022PE, DP03_0022PM, DP03_0023PE, DP03_0023PM, DP03_0024PE, DP03_0024PM, DP04_0058PE, DP04_0058PM, DP04_0059PE, DP04_0059PM, DP04_0060PE, DP04_0060PM, DP04_0061PE, DP04_0061PM, DP02_0153PE, DP02_0153PM, DP02_0154PE, DP02_0154PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.