City comparison
Iowa City, IA is about 250 miles (400 km) from Sioux City, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 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 Iowa City, IA to Sioux City, 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.
Sioux City has a population of 85,469, vs 74,878 in Iowa City — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Sioux City covers about 59 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 | Iowa City | Sioux City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,077/mo | $904/mo | 19.1% higher in Iowa City |
| Median home value | $256,600 | $149,800 | 71.3% higher in Iowa City |
| Median household income | $54,879 | $64,250 | 17.1% higher in Sioux City |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Sioux City slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 83.5 | 1.0% higher in Iowa City |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.1 | ≈ equal (Iowa City slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (Iowa City 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 Iowa City, you'd need $87,973 in Sioux City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux City, IA is about 12% cheaper overall than Iowa City, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 42% higher in Iowa City than in Sioux City. If you earn $80,000 in Iowa City, you'd need about $70,379 in Sioux City to keep the same standard of living.