How long is the commute from Elkhart, IA?

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

Workers who live in Elkhart, IA take an average of 25.9 minutes to get to work (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

79.8% of workers drive alone to work.

1.5% take public transportation.

0.4% of workers walk to work.

11.3% work from home.

0.3% of households have no vehicle.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Average commute: 25.9 minutes (±4.4)
Public transportation: 1.5%
Work from home: 11.3%
Households without a car: 0.3%

How people in Elkhart get to work

Workers 16 and over by means of transportation to work, 2020–2024
Means of transportation	Elkhart	Polk County	Iowa	United States
Drove alone	79.8% (±5.1 points)	72.4%	76.0%	68.8%
Carpooled	6.9% (±3.7 points)	8.4%	7.8%	8.5%
Public transportation	1.5% (±2.4 points)	0.5%	0.7%	3.2%
Walked	0.4% (±0.6 points)	1.4%	2.9%	2.4%
Other means (bicycle, taxi, motorcycle)	0.0% (±4.7 points)	1.5%	1.4%	2.0%
Worked from home	11.3% (±4.7 points)	15.7%	11.3%	15.1%

In Elkhart, the average commute is higher than in Polk County (20.0 minutes).

It is also higher than in Iowa (19.8 minutes).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (26.4 minutes).

In Elkhart, the share commuting by public transportation is not measurably different from Polk County (0.5%).

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

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

In Polk County, Elkhart ranks 2 of 17 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest average commute.

Statewide, it ranks 282 of 918.

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

Cars per household in Elkhart

Occupied housing units by vehicles available, 2020–2024
Vehicles available	Elkhart	Polk County	Iowa	United States
No vehicle	0.3% (±1.1 points)	5.8%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	29.2% (±9.1 points)	33.5%	30.5%	33.1%
2 vehicles	38.1% (±8.7 points)	39.3%	37.8%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	32.4% (±9.0 points)	21.3%	26.3%	21.9%

In Elkhart, the share of households without a vehicle is lower than in Polk County (5.8%).

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 Elkhart

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Elkhart	Polk County	Iowa	United States
Workers working from home	11.3% (±4.7 points)	15.7% (±0.6 points)	11.3% (±0.2 points)	15.1%
Households with a computer	98.9% (±1.4 points)	96.9% (±0.3 points)	94.7% (±0.1 points)	95.5%
Households with broadband internet	90.5% (±6.1 points)	91.9% (±0.6 points)	88.9% (±0.2 points)	91.0%

In Elkhart, the share of households with a broadband subscription is not measurably different from Polk County (91.9%).

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 Elkhart

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Elkhart
Place	Distance	Average commute	Compared with this place
Elkhart	—	25.9 minutes (±4.4)	—
Alleman	4.8 mi	23.5 minutes (±4.0)	Not measurably different
Ankeny	6.0 mi	21.1 minutes (±1.0)	Lower
Cambridge	7.5 mi	24.0 minutes (±2.4)	Not measurably different
Bondurant	7.7 mi	22.3 minutes (±2.1)	Not measurably different
Huxley	7.9 mi	25.8 minutes (±2.3)	Not measurably different
Maxwell	9.4 mi	29.1 minutes (±2.0)	Not measurably different
Saylorville	9.5 mi	17.5 minutes (±1.6)	Lower
Sheldahl	10 mi	27.5 minutes (±5.5)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Ankeny, IA (21.1 minutes), Saylorville, IA (17.5 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
1	Runnells	33.0 minutes (±6.3)
2	Elkhart	25.9 minutes (±4.4)
3	Polk City	24.3 minutes (±2.6)
4	Mitchellville	23.8 minutes (±2.1)
5	Alleman	23.5 minutes (±4.0)
6	Altoona	22.5 minutes (±1.9)
7	Bondurant	22.3 minutes (±2.1)
8	Pleasant Hill	22.2 minutes (±3.0)

Showing 8 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.

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Questions about Elkhart

How long is the average commute in Elkhart?

Workers who live in Elkhart, IA take an average of 25.9 minutes each way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Can you live in Elkhart without a car?

0.3% of households in Elkhart have no vehicle, and 1.5% of workers commute by public transportation.

How many people work from home in Elkhart?

11.3% (±4.7 points) of workers who live in Elkhart worked from home, and 90.5% 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 Elkhart city, Iowa (place:24735, 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.