City comparison
Chesterfield, MO is about 250 miles (425 km) from West Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 h 30 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 Chesterfield, MO to West Des Moines, IA takes about 31 min, covering roughly 250 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.
West Des Moines has a population of 68,744, vs 49,645 in Chesterfield — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, West Des Moines covers about 47 sq mi vs 32 sq mi for Chesterfield.
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 | Chesterfield | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,405/mo | $1,153/mo | 21.9% higher in Chesterfield |
| Median home value | $437,000 | $266,700 | 63.9% higher in Chesterfield |
| Median household income | $137,052 | $82,345 | 66.4% higher in Chesterfield |
| Groceries index | 99.7 | 94.0 | 6.1% higher in Chesterfield |
| Utilities index | 71.9 | 85.2 | 18.6% higher in West Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 98.5 | 93.3 | 5.6% higher in Chesterfield |
| Healthcare index | 98.7 | 93.5 | 5.6% higher in Chesterfield |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chesterfield, you'd need $100,034 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chesterfield and West Des Moines have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in West Des Moines than in Chesterfield. If you earn $80,000 in Chesterfield, you'd need about $80,027 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.