There are 10 ways to get from San Francisco to Iowa by plane, bus (Greyhound), train, bus, or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly San Francisco International Airport to Omaha
best- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Omaha (OMA)plane SFO - OMA
5h 12m$165–452Fly Oakland International Airport to Des Moines
cheapest- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Des Moines (DSM)plane OAK - DSM
6h 44m$124–511Bus (Greyhound)
- Take the bus from San Francisco Bus Station to Sparks Transit Centerbus
- Take the bus from Sparks Transit Center to Denver Union Stationbus
- Take the bus from Denver Union Station to Des Moinesbus
42h 15m$349–540Train, bus
- Take the train from Richmond to Denvertrain California Zephyr
- Take the bus from Denver Union Station to Des Moinesbus Greyhound US0123S
2d$883–1,406Drive 1,795.5 mi
- Drive from San Francisco to Des Moinescar 1,795.5 mi
27h 23m$328–474Fly Oakland International Airport to Omaha
- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Omaha (OMA)plane OAK - OMA
6h 36m$171–688Fly San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM)plane SFO - DSM
6h 48m$128–345Caltrain to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, fly to Omaha
- Take the train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southboundtrain
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Omaha (OMA)plane SJC - OMA
7h 51m$167–694Train, bus via Omaha
- Take the train from Richmond to Denvertrain
- Take the bus from Denver to Omahabus
- Take the bus from Omaha, NE to Des Moinesbus
2d 1h$937–1,436Train, bus #2
- Take the train from Oakland to Los Angelestrain
- Take the train from Los Angeles to Kansas Citytrain
- Take the bus from Kansas City to Des Moinesbus
2d 6h$1,253–2,079
San Francisco to Iowa by subway, foot, train, and bus
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from San Francisco to Iowa is to fly which costs $120 - $350 and takes 6h 48m.
The fastest way to get from San Francisco to Iowa is to fly which takes 5h 12m and costs $160 - $460.
No, there is no direct bus from San Francisco station to Iowa. However, there are services departing from San Francisco Bus Station and arriving at Des Moines via Sparks Transit Center and Denver Union Station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 42h 15m.
The distance between San Francisco and Iowa is 1461 miles. The road distance is 1806 miles.
The best way to get from San Francisco to Iowa without a car is to bus which takes 42h 15m and costs $340 - $550.
It takes approximately 5h 12m to get from San Francisco to Iowa, including transfers.
San Francisco to Iowa bus services, operated by Greyhound USA, depart from San Francisco Bus Station.
The best way to get from San Francisco to Iowa is to fly which takes 5h 12m and costs $160 - $460. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $340 - $550 and takes 42h 15m.
San Francisco to Iowa bus services, operated by Greyhound USA, arrive at Sparks Transit Center station.
Iowa is 2h ahead of San Francisco. It is currently 3:33 PM in San Francisco and 5:33 PM in Iowa.
What companies run services between San Francisco, CA, USA and Iowa, USA?
United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and three other airlines fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Omaha (OMA) every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus from San Francisco Bus Station to Des Moines via Sparks Transit Center, Denver Union Station, and Des Moines in around 42h 15m.
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Omaha via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 18m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Omaha via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 17m
- When
- Tuesday to Friday
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Omaha via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 22m
- When
- Tuesday and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $130–600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Omaha via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Omaha via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 53m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Omaha via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 2m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–700
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Omaha via Dallas
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 37m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $180–800
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Omaha via San Diego
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 57m
- When
- Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $160–750
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–480
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Des Moines via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 55m
- When
- Sunday, Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $110–500
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Des Moines via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 42m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Des Moines via Chicago Midway
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 15m
- When
- Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 28m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–410
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 50m
- When
- Sunday, Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $90–420
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 47m
- When
- Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $100–440
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Chicago Midway
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 30m
- When
- Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $110–490
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Omaha via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 27m
- When
- Monday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- $130–650
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Omaha via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 4m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Omaha via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–700
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Omaha via San Diego
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 40m
- When
- Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $160–700
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Omaha via Dallas
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 5m
- When
- Tuesday and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $180–800
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Omaha via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 44m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $130–600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 24m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–440
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 8m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–480
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 37m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $100–440
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Omaha via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 33m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $150–700
- Website
- united.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Omaha
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Omaha via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 32m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 26m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–410
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Omaha via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 37m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $130–650
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Omaha via Salt Lake City
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 10m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $110–550
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Omaha via Salt Lake City
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 56m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $140–650
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 6m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–440
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Omaha via Salt Lake City
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 34m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $130–650
- Website
- flyfrontier.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Omaha via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 7m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $130–410
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 30m
- When
- Monday
- Estimated price
- $100–310
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Richmond to Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 32h 52m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $750–1,200
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Richmond to Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 32h 52m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $750–1,200
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Oakland to Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 2m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $250–400
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Los Angeles to Kansas City
- Ave. Duration
- 35h 7m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $950–1,600
- Website
- Amtrak
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- Cal Train
Train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southbound
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–12
- Website
- Cal Train
- Schedules at
- Cal Train
- One-way Adult
- $9–12
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- [email protected]
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from San Francisco Bus Station to Sparks Transit Center
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 15m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $40–65
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Sparks Transit Center to Denver Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $180–280
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Denver Union Station to Des Moines
- Ave. Duration
- 13h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $120–190
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Denver Union Station to Des Moines
- Ave. Duration
- 13h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $120–190
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Omaha, NE to Des Moines
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 15m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $24–40
- Website
- Greyhound
- Phone
- +1-877-779-2999
- [email protected]
- Website
- Express Arrow
Bus from Denver to Omaha
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 15m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $150–180
- Website
- Express Arrow
- Phone
- +1-858-800-8898
- Website
- jeffersonlines.com
Bus from Kansas City to Des Moines
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 25m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $50–75
- Book at
- Jefferson Lines
- Adult
- $50–75
Want to know more about travelling around United States
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Travelling to the US: What do I need to know?
Read the travel guide
Need to know: Greyhound
Read the travel guide
Why you should take the train in the US
Read the travel guide
Booking & Getting There
Yes, the driving distance between San Francisco to Iowa is 1806 miles. It takes approximately 27h 23m to drive from San Francisco to Iowa.
There are 187+ hotels available in Iowa.

















