ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · IA · GEOID 19823352024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Washington, Iowa

Mean one-way trip18.8 min±3.3 min MOE
Worked from home5.8%±2.6 pp MOE
Drove alone77.9%±3.6 pp MOE
60+ minute trip5.7%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 commute15.0 min → 18.8 min▲ 3.8 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home7.5% → 5.8%▼ 1.8 pp

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

Public transit0.1% → 3.0%▲ 2.9 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone75.9% → 77.9%▲ 2.0 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone77.9% ±3.6 pp
Carpool9.7% ±4.1 pp
Public transit3.0% ±3.6 pp
Walk2.1% ±1.6 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.4 pp
Work from home5.8% ±2.6 pp

Each share uses 3,616 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.

15thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 85% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

18thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 82% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

85thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 85% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

42th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 58% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate7,290± 43 MOE
Workers age 16+3,616± 258 MOE
Workers with travel time3,407± 272 MOE
Estimated home workers209± 94 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.