How long is the commute from Shelby, IA?

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

Workers who live in Shelby, IA take an average of 29.5 minutes to get to work (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

79.5% of workers drive alone to work.

0.0% take public transportation.

7.6% of workers walk to work.

7.3% work from home.

8.8% of households have no vehicle.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Average commute: 29.5 minutes (±4.9)
Public transportation: 0.0%
Work from home: 7.3%
Households without a car: 8.8%

How people in Shelby get to work

Workers 16 and over by means of transportation to work, 2020–2024
Means of transportation	Shelby	Shelby County	Iowa	United States
Drove alone	79.5% (±9.1 points)	75.6%	76.0%	68.8%
Carpooled	5.6% (±3.6 points)	4.4%	7.8%	8.5%
Public transportation	0.0% (±6.1 points)	0.5%	0.7%	3.2%
Walked	7.6% (±6.7 points)	5.7%	2.9%	2.4%
Other means (bicycle, taxi, motorcycle)	0.0% (±6.1 points)	1.0%	1.4%	2.0%
Worked from home	7.3% (±4.3 points)	12.8%	11.3%	15.1%

In Shelby, the average commute is higher than in Shelby County (18.5 minutes).

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

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

In Shelby, 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, Shelby ranks 1 of 11 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest average commute.

Statewide, it ranks 150 of 918.

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

Cars per household in Shelby

Occupied housing units by vehicles available, 2020–2024
Vehicles available	Shelby	Shelby County	Iowa	United States
No vehicle	8.8% (±7.6 points)	3.2%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	31.0% (±9.9 points)	27.2%	30.5%	33.1%
2 vehicles	35.2% (±9.9 points)	35.1%	37.8%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	25.0% (±11.5 points)	34.5%	26.3%	21.9%

In Shelby, the share of households without a vehicle is not measurably different from Shelby County (3.2%).

It is not measurably different from Iowa (5.4%).

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

Working from home and internet access in Shelby

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Shelby	Shelby County	Iowa	United States
Workers working from home	7.3% (±4.3 points)	12.8% (±3.0 points)	11.3% (±0.2 points)	15.1%
Households with a computer	93.8% (±4.4 points)	91.3% (±2.3 points)	94.7% (±0.1 points)	95.5%
Households with broadband internet	84.4% (±7.3 points)	88.3% (±2.4 points)	88.9% (±0.2 points)	91.0%

In Shelby, 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 Shelby

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Shelby
Place	Distance	Average commute	Compared with this place
Shelby	—	29.5 minutes (±4.9)	—
Minden	5.5 mi	41.7 minutes (±11.7)	Not measurably different
Avoca	6.0 mi	24.4 minutes (±3.3)	Not measurably different
Tennant	6.1 mi	19.8 minutes (±7.8)	Lower
Persia	8.0 mi	25.6 minutes (±3.4)	Not measurably different
Hancock	9.0 mi	33.6 minutes (±10.4)	Not measurably different
Neola	9.5 mi	25.7 minutes (±1.8)	Not measurably different
Portsmouth	11 mi	22.8 minutes (±6.5)	Not measurably different
Harlan	12 mi	13.7 minutes (±2.6)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Tennant, IA (19.8 minutes), Harlan, IA (13.7 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)

Showing 7 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 Shelby

How long is the average commute in Shelby?

Workers who live in Shelby, IA take an average of 29.5 minutes each way (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Can you live in Shelby without a car?

8.8% of households in Shelby have no vehicle, and 0.0% of workers commute by public transportation.

How many people work from home in Shelby?

7.3% (±4.3 points) of workers who live in Shelby worked from home, and 84.4% 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 Shelby city, Iowa (place:72300, 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.