City comparison
Council Bluffs, IA is about 100 miles (175 km) from West Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 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 Council Bluffs, IA to West Des Moines, 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.
West Des Moines has a population of 68,744, vs 62,670 in Council Bluffs — about the same size. By land area, West Des Moines covers about 47 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 | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $964/mo | $1,153/mo | 19.6% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median home value | $153,400 | $266,700 | 73.9% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median household income | $61,181 | $82,345 | 34.6% higher in West Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.3 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Council Bluffs slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 77.8 | 85.2 | 9.6% higher in West 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 $100,608 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Council Bluffs, IA is about 0.6% cheaper overall than West Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Council Bluffs, you'd need about $80,487 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.