Cost of Driving in Iowa - True Driving Cost

Key Findings

Driving in Iowa costs an estimated $1,091 per year in fuel, ranking #36 among all states.
The average driver in Iowa travels 10,600 miles per year, 727 miles below the national average.
Regular gasoline averages $2.675/gal (EIA Midwest PADD regional average), with a combined state and federal gas tax of 49.4 cents/gal.
An EV driver in Iowa would pay roughly $430/year for electricity, saving about 61% compared to gasoline.

Contents

Quick Facts
Gas Prices
Gas Taxes
Miles Driven
Annual Fuel Cost
Commuting
EV Comparison
Neighboring States
Data Sources

01 Quick Facts

Metric	Value	National Avg
Annual fuel cost (26 MPG fleet avg)	$1,091	$1,280
Regular gas price	$2.675/gal	$2.937/gal
Combined gas tax (state + federal)	49.4¢/gal	—
Miles driven per capita	10,600	11,327
Electricity rate (residential)	13.4¢/kWh	16.5¢/kWh
Driving cost rank	#36 of 51	—

FHWA PS-1 (2024), EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices (Feb 2026), FHWA MF-121T (2022), EIA Form 861 (2024)

02 Gas Prices

Regular gasoline in Iowa averages $2.675 per gallon (EIA Midwest PADD regional average), which is $0.26 below the national average of $2.937. Iowa ranks #29 among states for gas prices (1 = most expensive).

U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices, February 2026

03 Gas Taxes

Iowa charges a state gasoline excise tax of 31.0 cents per gallon. Combined with the federal excise tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, drivers in Iowa pay a total of 49.4 cents per gallon in fuel taxes. This ranks #16 among all states (1 = highest tax).

FHWA, Highway Statistics 2022, Table MF-121T: State Motor-Fuel Tax Rates

At 10,600 miles per year and 26 MPG, the average driver in Iowa pays roughly $201 in combined gas taxes annually.

Tax Component	Rate
State gasoline tax	31.0¢/gal
Federal gasoline tax	18.4¢/gal
Combined total	49.4¢/gal
Annual tax burden (at 10,600 mi, 26 MPG)	$201

FHWA MF-121T (2022); 26 U.S.C. §4081 (federal excise tax rate)

04 Miles Driven

The average driver in Iowa travels 10,600 miles per year, ranking #26 among all states (1 = most miles). This is 727 miles below the national average of 11,327.

FHWA, Table PS-1: Selected Measures for Identifying Peer States, 2024

Iowa has a total of 33.8 billion vehicle-miles traveled annually across all road types, with a population of 3,190,369 (63% urban).

FHWA PS-1, 2024; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census

05 Annual Fuel Cost

Based on Iowa's average gas price and miles driven, here is the estimated annual fuel cost by vehicle type:

Vehicle Type	MPG	Annual Fuel Cost
Compact sedan	33	$859
Midsize SUV	26	$1,091
Pickup truck	20	$1,418

Calculated: VMT per capita ({s['vmt_per_capita']:,} mi) ÷ MPG × gas price (${s['gas_price']:.3f}/gal). MPG estimates from EPA Automotive Trends Report, 2023.

Estimate your vehicle's fuel cost using EPA data.

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06 Commuting

The average commute in Iowa takes 20.0 minutes one way. About 76.2% of workers drive alone to work and 10.5% work from home.

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801: Commuting Characteristics by Sex, 2023

Commute Metric	Value
Mean travel time to work	20.0 min
Drove alone to work	76.2%
Public transit	0.8%
Worked from home	10.5%

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801, 2023

07 EV Comparison

The average residential electricity rate in Iowa is 13.4 cents per kWh, which ranks #36 among states (1 = most expensive). At an average EV efficiency of 3.3 miles per kWh, driving on electricity in Iowa costs roughly $0.041 per mile compared to $0.103 per mile for gasoline.

EIA Form 861, Table 5A: Average Monthly Bill — Residential, 2024; EPA average EV efficiency ~3.3 mi/kWh

Metric	Gasoline	Electric
Cost per mile	$0.103	$0.041
Annual fuel/energy cost (10,600 mi)	$1,091	$430
Annual savings with EV	$661 (61%)

EIA Form 861 (2024); EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices (Feb 2026); EPA Fuel Economy Guide

08 Neighboring States

Here is how Iowa's driving costs compare to neighboring states:

State	Gas Price	VMT/Capita	Annual Cost
Iowa	$2.675	10,600	$1,091
Minnesota	$2.661	10,371	$1,061
Wisconsin	$2.675	11,746	$1,208
Illinois	$2.675	8,140	$837
Missouri	$2.675	13,291	$1,367

09 Data Sources

Federal Highway Administration: Table PS-1, Selected Measures for Identifying Peer States, 2024. fhwa.dot.gov
Federal Highway Administration: Highway Statistics 2022, Table MF-121T: State Motor-Fuel Tax Rates. fhwa.dot.gov
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices by State/Region, February 2026. eia.gov
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Form EIA-861, Table 5A: Average Monthly Bill — Residential, 2024. eia.gov
U.S. Census Bureau: ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801: Commuting Characteristics by Sex, 2023. data.census.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Automotive Trends Report, 2023. epa.gov

Disclaimer. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. All data is sourced from U.S. government agencies as cited. Gasoline prices change frequently and vary by station, grade, and payment method. Gas tax rates reflect FHWA 2022 data and may have been adjusted since publication. Annual cost estimates use the formula: VMT ÷ MPG × Price per Gallon.