How long is the commute from Elk Horn, IA?

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

Workers who live in Elk Horn, IA take an average of 20.3 minutes to get to work (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

71.8% of workers drive alone to work.

4.7% take public transportation.

11.3% of workers walk to work.

9.2% work from home.

1.0% of households have no vehicle.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Average commute: 20.3 minutes (±4.2)
Public transportation: 4.7%
Work from home: 9.2%
Households without a car: 1.0%

How people in Elk Horn get to work

Workers 16 and over by means of transportation to work, 2020–2024
Means of transportation	Elk Horn	Shelby County	Iowa	United States
Drove alone	71.8% (±10.6 points)	75.6%	76.0%	68.8%
Carpooled	0.5% (±1.1 points)	4.4%	7.8%	8.5%
Public transportation	4.7% (±4.9 points)	0.5%	0.7%	3.2%
Walked	11.3% (±5.7 points)	5.7%	2.9%	2.4%
Other means (bicycle, taxi, motorcycle)	2.4% (±2.7 points)	1.0%	1.4%	2.0%
Worked from home	9.2% (±7.1 points)	12.8%	11.3%	15.1%

In Elk Horn, the average commute is not measurably different from Shelby County (18.5 minutes).

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

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

In Elk Horn, the share commuting by public transportation is not measurably different from Shelby County (0.5%).

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

It is not measurably different from the national figure (3.2%).

In Shelby County, Elk Horn ranks 4 of 11 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest average commute.

Statewide, it ranks 603 of 918.

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

Cars per household in Elk Horn

Occupied housing units by vehicles available, 2020–2024
Vehicles available	Elk Horn	Shelby County	Iowa	United States
No vehicle	1.0% (±1.2 points)	3.2%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	27.1% (±10.0 points)	27.2%	30.5%	33.1%
2 vehicles	51.8% (±11.4 points)	35.1%	37.8%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	20.1% (±8.6 points)	34.5%	26.3%	21.9%

In Elk Horn, the share of households without a vehicle is lower than in Shelby County (3.2%).

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

It is lower than the national figure (8.4%).

Working from home and internet access in Elk Horn

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Elk Horn	Shelby County	Iowa	United States
Workers working from home	9.2% (±7.1 points)	12.8% (±3.0 points)	11.3% (±0.2 points)	15.1%
Households with a computer	97.7% (±2.1 points)	91.3% (±2.3 points)	94.7% (±0.1 points)	95.5%
Households with broadband internet	93.0% (±5.7 points)	88.3% (±2.4 points)	88.9% (±0.2 points)	91.0%

In Elk Horn, the share of households with a broadband subscription is not measurably different from Shelby County (88.3%).

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

It is not measurably different from the national figure (91.0%).

Average commute in places near Elk Horn

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Elk Horn
Place	Distance	Average commute	Compared with this place
Elk Horn	—	20.3 minutes (±4.2)	—
Kimballton	2.5 mi	26.7 minutes (±7.7)	Not measurably different
Brayton	7.6 mi	23.2 minutes (±6.6)	Not measurably different
Exira	9.3 mi	15.0 minutes (±2.1)	Lower
Marne	10 mi	27.4 minutes (±10.0)	Not measurably different
Walnut	11 mi	27.4 minutes (±5.3)	Higher
Audubon	11 mi	16.7 minutes (±2.8)	Not measurably different
Atlantic	14 mi	10.8 minutes (±1.4)	Lower
Kirkman	14 mi	15.5 minutes (±5.4)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Exira, IA (15.0 minutes), Atlantic, IA (10.8 minutes).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Walnut, IA (27.4 minutes).

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

Average commute across Shelby County, place by place

Rank	Place	Average commute
1	Shelby	29.5 minutes (±4.9)
2	Westphalia	23.9 minutes (±9.7)
3	Portsmouth	22.8 minutes (±6.5)
4	Elk Horn	20.3 minutes (±4.2)
5	Tennant	19.8 minutes (±7.8)
6	Earling	19.2 minutes (±3.8)
7	Defiance	18.7 minutes (±4.4)
8	Irwin	17.9 minutes (±6.4)
9	Panama	17.5 minutes (±10.0)
10	Kirkman	15.5 minutes (±5.4)

Showing 10 of 11 places in Shelby 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.

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Questions about Elk Horn

How long is the average commute in Elk Horn?

Workers who live in Elk Horn, IA take an average of 20.3 minutes each way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Can you live in Elk Horn without a car?

1.0% of households in Elk Horn have no vehicle, and 4.7% of workers commute by public transportation.

How many people work from home in Elk Horn?

9.2% (±7.1 points) of workers who live in Elk Horn worked from home, and 93.0% 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 Elk Horn city, Iowa (place:24780, 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.