Transportation in Des Moines, IA
Commute patterns, travel times, and transportation modes — 2023 ACS Data
Commute Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Drive Alone
72.3%
-8% vs national
Public Transit
1.1%
+28% vs national
Work From Home
11.4%
+22% vs national
Carpool
11.2%
Walk / Bike
2.6%
combined
How Des Moines's Commute Compares
Source: Census ACS (2023)How People Get to Work
Source: Census ACS (2023)Commute Mode Breakdown
Source: Census ACS (2023)Traffic Fatalities
Source: NHTSA FARS (2023)Fatalities
18
2023
6-Year Avg
18
fatalities/yr
Pedestrian
2
Cyclist
1
Nighttime
11
dark conditions
| Year | Crashes | Fatalities | Alcohol | Pedestrian | Cyclist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 17 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 21 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | 18 | 23 | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| 2019 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
Data from NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Includes only crashes involving at least one fatality.
Commute data for Des Moines, IA covers travel times and transportation modes. 72.3% of workers drive alone, compared to the national average of 78.7%. 11.4% work from home, which is above the IA state average of 6.9%. Public transit is used by 1.1% of commuters, compared to the national average of 0.9%. 11.2% of workers carpool. 2.3% walk to work. In 2023, there were 18 traffic fatalities from 17 fatal crashes. 2 were pedestrians.