City comparison
Ames, IA is about 650 miles (1,100 km) from Longview, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 800 miles, or about 14 hours 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 Longview, TX takes about 1 h 19 min, covering roughly 650 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.
Longview has a population of 82,176, vs 66,265 in Ames — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Longview covers about 56 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Ames.
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 | Longview | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $1,000/mo | 1.1% higher in Ames |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $170,000 | 45.6% higher in Ames |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $61,003 | 6.2% higher in Longview |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Longview slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 83.8 | 84.5 | 0.8% higher in Longview |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 96.6 | 3.6% higher in Longview |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 96.1 | 2.8% higher in Longview |
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 $100,169 in Longview to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames and Longview have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Ames than in Longview. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $80,135 in Longview to keep the same standard of living.