City comparison
Iowa City, IA is about 125 miles (175 km) from West 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 Iowa City, IA to West 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.
Iowa City has a population of 74,878, vs 68,744 in West Des Moines — about the same size. By land area, West Des Moines covers about 47 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 | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,077/mo | $1,153/mo | 7.1% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median home value | $256,600 | $266,700 | 3.9% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median household income | $54,879 | $82,345 | 50.0% higher in West Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 85.2 | 1.0% higher in West Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ equal |
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 $100,676 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Iowa City, IA is about 0.7% cheaper overall than West Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Iowa City, you'd need about $80,541 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.