Per diem · IA · GSA FY2027 from October 1, 2026
Per diem rates in Iowa, FY2027
Iowa has only 2 GSA areas in FY2027, Polk and Dallas counties, and neither one changes price during the year.
GSA FY2027 ZIP file published · rates checked · Published by Radif Partners · Rules and data
- GSA areas above the standard rate
- 2
- Highest lodging maximum
- $122
- Where
- Des Moines
- Everywhere else
- $113 + $68
Federal per diem for the trip
$646
Des Moines, IA · Sun, Oct 25 to Wed, Oct 28
| Lodging, 3 nights at the GSA maximum | $366 |
| M&IE before meal deductions | $280 |
| M&IE paid | $280 |
| Total | $646 |
Rates of fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027). How this is calculated.
Day by day
| Day | Lodging | M&IE rate | Share | Meals off | M&IE paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Oct 25 FY2027 | $122 | $80 | 75% | – | $60 |
| Mon, Oct 26 FY2027 | $122 | $80 | 100% | – | $80 |
| Tue, Oct 27 FY2027 | $122 | $80 | 100% | – | $80 |
| Wed, Oct 28 FY2027 | – | $80 | 75% | – | $60 |
Iowa per diem in FY2027 is $122 of lodging and $80 of M&IE in Polk County (Des Moines), $117 and $80 in Dallas County, and the standard $113 plus $68 in every other county. Those rates hold from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, with the same maximum in every month: GSA gives Iowa no seasonal area at all. A three-night stay in Des Moines from March 8 to 11, 2027 is worth $646.00 at the federal maximum, against $577.00 for the same dates in a standard-rate city such as Cedar Rapids. The difference comes from the room and from the meal tier, since Polk County sits one notch above the base M&IE. Lodging taxes are claimed apart from the cap. The calculator above opens on Des Moines; type an Iowa city or ZIP code to change it.
A Dallas that is not in Texas
The second Iowa line in the GSA file is simply called "Dallas", and it means Dallas County, Iowa. Travel software that matches on the city name alone can return the Texas rate instead, so check the state code before you file. Waukee is the largest Census place in the county; a trip there is paid $117 a night in FY2027, $5 less than across the line in Polk County, with the same $80 meal allowance. The ZIP search of the calculator above settles the question by address, which is the safest route for any suburb that sits near a county boundary.
Dallas, IA: per diem for a stay
Lodging + M&IE at the federal maximum
$631
| Lodging: 3 × $117 | $351 |
| M&IE: 2 travel days at $60 | $120 |
| M&IE: 2 full days at $80 | $160 |
Lodging taxes on top; provided meals are deducted in the full calculator.
Why the Des Moines premium shrank this year
Polk County moved from $121 in FY2026 to $122 in FY2027, a rise of $1. Dallas County gained $2. Over the same change of fiscal year the national standard lodging rate went from $110 to $113. The result is a thinner margin for Polk County: $11 above the standard last year, $9 now. For an employee who spends a week a month in Des Moines, that is a small number per night but a visible one over a year of expense reports, and it is a reason not to reuse last year's spreadsheet.
Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Sioux City on the national rate
Every Census place of 15,000 people or more outside Polk and Dallas counties takes the standard rate in Iowa, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City and Iowa City among them. A night there is reimbursed at $113 and a full day of meals at $68, $51.00 on the day you leave home and the day you return. If a hotel near a plant or a campus costs more than that, the excess is the traveler's unless the employer approves actual expenses, a rule set by the Federal Travel Regulation for federal staff; private employers write their own.
For drivers, Iowa has no EIA series of its own; the Midwest average for regular gasoline was $4.109 a gallon in the week of October 5, 2026, below the national $4.354. The mileage reimbursement calculator turns your miles into dollars at 76 cents a mile.
Every GSA area in Iowa: FY2027 against FY2026
| GSA area | Counties or limits | Lodging FY2027 | M&IE | Lodging FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | Polk | $122 | $80 | $121 |
| Dallas | Dallas | $117 | $80 | $115 |
| Rest of the state | All other counties | $113 | $68 | $110 |