Cities with the worst commute in Iowa

Written by:
April 24, 2023
Canetti // Shutterstock

Cities with the worst commute in Iowa

When the COVID-19 pandemic made millions of Americans remote workers, it also abruptly ended many of the commutes that bookend the workday. As some of those workers return to the office, conversations around the drawbacks of commutes have become more intense. For a while, those workers enjoyed more time in the morning and evening that wasn't spent simply traveling to and from work—an unpaid portion of the day that ate up time and energy. And it's not a small amount of time, either: Pre-pandemic, the average commute in the U.S. was a hair over 27 minutes one way, according to Census Bureau data. It was a record high. Cumulatively, 27 minutes each way translates to 54 minutes a day, or four-and-a-half hours per week. That's 18 hours a month and 216 hours a year spent commuting.

Those who commute know it's not particularly idyllic. While a very small portion of workers live in the ideal scenario—a short, walkable distance from the office, along a sidewalk that is presumably regularly shoveled in the winter and where the temperature doesn't result in a sweaty arrival in the summer—most endure clogged roads, unpredictable public transit, and the frustrations that come with both. Of course, not all commutes are as bad as others, and some cities have better public transit and traffic flow.

Stacker compiled a list of the cities with the worst commutes in Iowa using data from the Census Bureau. Cities with at least 5,000 working adults are ranked by the longest average commute time as of the 2021 5-year estimate.

1 / 25
Stacker

#25. Muscatine

- Average time spent commuting to work: 17.3 minutes
- National rank: #2068
2 / 25
Stacker

#24. West Des Moines

- Average time spent commuting to work: 17.9 minutes
- National rank: #2013
3 / 25
Stacker

#23. Iowa City

- Average time spent commuting to work: 18 minutes
- National rank: #2003
4 / 25
Stacker

#22. Clive

- Average time spent commuting to work: 18.1 minutes
- National rank: #1994
5 / 25
Stacker

#21. Clinton

- Average time spent commuting to work: 18.4 minutes
- National rank: #1954
6 / 25
Stacker

#20. Boone

- Average time spent commuting to work: 18.5 minutes
- National rank: #1941
7 / 25
Stacker

#19. Grimes

- Average time spent commuting to work: 18.6 minutes
- National rank: #1936
8 / 25
Stacker

#18. Des Moines

- Average time spent commuting to work: 19.1 minutes
- National rank: #1878
9 / 25
Stacker

#17. Johnston

- Average time spent commuting to work: 19.2 minutes
- National rank: #1862
10 / 25
Stacker

#16. Urbandale

- Average time spent commuting to work: 19.2 minutes
- National rank: #1860
11 / 25
Stacker

#15. Council Bluffs

- Average time spent commuting to work: 19.2 minutes
- National rank: #1859
12 / 25
Stacker

#14. Waukee

- Average time spent commuting to work: 19.4 minutes
- National rank: #1851
13 / 25
Stacker

#13. Coralville

- Average time spent commuting to work: 19.5 minutes
- National rank: #1826
14 / 25
Stacker

#12. Marion

- Average time spent commuting to work: 19.8 minutes
- National rank: #1787
15 / 25
Stacker

#11. Bettendorf

- Average time spent commuting to work: 19.9 minutes
- National rank: #1777
16 / 25
Stacker

#10. Davenport

- Average time spent commuting to work: 20.2 minutes
- National rank: #1721
17 / 25
Stacker

#9. Newton

- Average time spent commuting to work: 20.5 minutes
- National rank: #1689
18 / 25
Stacker

#8. Ankeny

- Average time spent commuting to work: 21.3 minutes
- National rank: #1596
19 / 25
Stacker

#7. Indianola

- Average time spent commuting to work: 21.7 minutes
- National rank: #1521
20 / 25
Stacker

#6. Altoona

- Average time spent commuting to work: 22 minutes
- National rank: #1484
21 / 25
Stacker

#5. Norwalk

- Average time spent commuting to work: 23.1 minutes
- National rank: #1334
22 / 25
Stacker

#4. Cedar Rapids

- Average time spent commuting to work: 24.5 minutes
- National rank: #1109
23 / 25
Stacker

#3. Burlington

- Average time spent commuting to work: 24.7 minutes
- National rank: #1074
24 / 25
Stacker

#2. North Liberty

- Average time spent commuting to work: 25.6 minutes
- National rank: #925
25 / 25
Stacker

#1. Storm Lake

- Average time spent commuting to work: 37 minutes
- National rank: #55

Trending Now