City comparison
Ames, IA is about 100 miles (175 km) from Iowa City, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Ames, IA to Iowa City, IA takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Iowa City has a population of 74,878, vs 66,265 in Ames — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Ames covers about 28 sq mi vs 26 sq mi for Iowa City.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ames | Iowa City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $1,077/mo | 6.5% higher in Iowa City |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $256,600 | 3.7% higher in Iowa City |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $54,879 | 4.6% higher in Ames |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 83.8 | 84.4 | 0.7% higher in Iowa City |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ames, you'd need $107,202 in Iowa City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames, IA is about 6.7% cheaper overall than Iowa City, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% higher in Iowa City than in Ames. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $85,761 in Iowa City to keep the same standard of living.