City comparison
Council Bluffs, IA is about 125 miles (200 km) from Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 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 Council Bluffs, IA to Des Moines, IA takes about 14 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Des Moines has a population of 213,164, vs 62,670 in Council Bluffs — about 3.4× larger by population. By land area, Des Moines covers about 88 sq mi vs 43 sq mi for Council Bluffs.
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 | Council Bluffs | Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $964/mo | $995/mo | 3.2% higher in Des Moines |
| Median home value | $153,400 | $170,700 | 11.3% higher in Des Moines |
| Median household income | $61,181 | $62,378 | 2.0% higher in Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.3 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Council Bluffs slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 77.8 | 85.2 | 9.6% higher in Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (Council Bluffs slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ equal (Council Bluffs slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Council Bluffs, you'd need $100,068 in Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Council Bluffs and Des Moines have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Council Bluffs, you'd need about $80,054 in Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.