ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · IA · GEOID 19018552024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Ames, Iowa

Mean one-way trip15.6 min±1.1 min MOE
Worked from home12.1%±1.4 pp MOE
Drove alone62.5%±1.8 pp MOE
60+ minute trip2.1%among commuters

U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates for residents age 16+ who work. Commute time excludes people working from home.

01 / THE SHIFT

What changed in the published estimate?

These periods overlap: 2021 covers 2017–2021 and 2024 covers 2020–2024. Changes are directional comparisons, not independent annual measurements.

Mean commute16.7 min → 15.6 min▼ 1.1 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home9.3% → 12.1%▲ 2.8 pp

Share of workers age 16+ who usually worked from home.

Public transit7.4% → 5.5%▼ 1.8 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone64.3% → 62.5%▼ 1.7 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone62.5% ±1.8 pp
Carpool7.3% ±1.2 pp
Public transit5.5% ±1.1 pp
Walk10.2% ±1.1 pp
Bicycle1.7% ±0.5 pp
Work from home12.1% ±1.4 pp

Each share uses 37,081 estimated workers as its denominator. Categories shown here do not include every ACS mode.

03 / PEER CONTEXT

Compared with similar-size places

Percentiles are single-metric context, never a “good commute” score.

3thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 97% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

42thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 58% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

90thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 90% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

4th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 96% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate67,669± 39 MOE
Workers age 16+37,081± 1,022 MOE
Workers with travel time32,592± 1,084 MOE
Estimated home workers4,489± 541 MOE
Why the ± matters

ACS values are survey estimates. The margin of error is the 90% confidence interval published by the Census Bureau or calculated for a share from published component margins. Small differences can be sampling noise.