Des Moines drivers emit higher rates of pollution

Des Moines is one of the worst metros for vehicle emissions, according to a report from Streetlight Data examining the top 100 most populated metros in the country.

Why it matters: Transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse emissions, according to the EPA .

State of play: The high number of miles driven per person is the biggest contributor to the metro's low ranking , according to the 2024 report.

• Des Moines residents travel an average of 10 miles per trip, according to 2017 data from Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
• Out of 100 U.S. metros, Des Moines ranks 92nd worst for vehicle miles traveled, per Streetlight Data. It ranks 86th overall.

What they're saying: Reducing urban sprawl by allowing denser neighborhoods could help, like in Woodland Heights and Sherman Hill, says Alec Davis, founder of Momentum DSM .

• Multiple metro governments have already approved " two-in-one housing " expansions.

The big picture: Cities nationwide are trying to preserve the pandemic-era drop in vehicle emissions as traffic returns nearly or entirely to pre-COVID levels, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Carlos Cunha write .

• The best-ranking cities are located along the East and West coasts, while the worst are in the Central and Southeast United States.