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Traffic heat map of Dakota County, Nebraska: 125 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on I 129 and NE 77

Dakota County, Nebraska Traffic Counts

How busy are the roads of Dakota County, Nebraska? We measure 125 road miles, divided into 1,612 segments, with multi-sourced, cross-verified mobile and sensor data. Its busiest road, I 129, carries 10,383 vehicles a day, 3.7 times the average road. The breakdown below covers volume, trucks, congestion and driver profiles for retailers, logistics planners and engineers.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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total traffic icon

Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Dakota County, Nebraska

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day2,788
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

10.3%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

28.9 min
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

44.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$75,667

A typical monitored road in Dakota County, Nebraska sees 2,788 vehicles per day, while its 125 miles of monitored roads together handle 357,471 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈130 million per year). About 1 in 10 vehicles is a truck, in line with Nebraska (11.5%).

Shorter trips than 99% of counties in Nebraska

Dakota sees 23% lower average daily traffic volume than the state average (2,788 vehicles per day against 3,598), suggesting less demand on each road - a critical factor for logistics and site planning. Across the whole network, that travel is about 0.7% of Nebraska's statewide total. 86% of counties in Nebraska see less traffic than Dakota's 2,788 vehicles per day.

At 28.9 minutes, the average travel time is 12% lower than the state level. On travel time, Dakota runs shorter than 99% of counties in Nebraska.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Dakota County, Nebraska

Trafficvehicles per day4,804
Trucks12.0%
Average travel time34.2 min
Drivers’ average age46.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income$75,859

A significant share of driving in Dakota County, Nebraska, 39% of vehicle-miles, happens on highways. The average highway carries 4,804 vehicles per day, 93% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 2,486 vehicles per day.

Highways make up 26% of the monitored road miles (32 miles, 210 segments), so they carry more than their share: 138,139 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈50.4 million per year).

By highway travel volume, Dakota outranks 53% of counties in Nebraska.

Lower highway truck share than 77% of counties in Nebraska

At 12.0%, highway truck share is 32% lower than the state average. Highways here mostly serve passenger trips, so local access matters more than long-haul routing for logistics operators.

Dakota's highway truck share (12.0%) is lower than 77% of counties in Nebraska. 58% of counties in Nebraska see fewer highway trucks per day than Dakota's roughly 578.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Dakota County, Nebraska

Trafficvehicles per day2,486
Trucks9.1%
Average travel time28.1 min
Drivers’ average age44.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income$75,559

Local roads carry more than half of all travel in Dakota County, Nebraska (61% of vehicle-miles). On the average non-highway road, that comes to 2,486 vehicles per day.

Their share of road miles is similar, 74% (93 miles in 1,402 segments), carrying 219,333 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈80.1 million per year). About 1 in 11 vehicles on non-highway roads is a truck (9.1%).

Younger drivers than 91% of counties in Nebraska

Non-highway roads carry a truck concentration that's 24% lower than the highway network.

Dakota's average driver income is higher than 76% of counties in Nebraska. Dakota's median driver age is lower than 91% of counties in Nebraska.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

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Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 7:00 AM–8:00 AM and a long afternoon plateau from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 69% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are much quieter: volumes run about 21% below weekday levels, the signature of a commute-driven road network.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
August–October is the high season, with volumes +12% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
May is the quietest month, with volumes -25% versus the annual average.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Dakota County, Nebraska, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic, and there is a strong seasonal swing of +12% in high season.

Dakota County vs. Nebraska Traffic Comparison

Dakota County's biggest difference from the Nebraska average is its highway truck share, 32% below it. Its average daily traffic per road is also 23% below.

MetricDakota CountyNebraska averageDifference
Traffic2,7883,598-22.5%
Truck % (Total Traffic)10.3%11.5%-11.0%
Truck % (Highway)12.0%17.6%-31.6%
Avg. Travel Time28.9 min33.0 min-12.4%

How Dakota County compares

Dakota County against nearby counties

Against the 4 nearest areas, Dakota County sees 24.5% shorter typical trips; it has the second busiest roads of the five. Busier roads and shorter trips together - destinations here sit closer to one another than in the areas around it.

Dakota County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the Nebraska average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Dakota County2,78810.3%357,47128.9 minN/A
Dixon County, Nebraska1,2629.0%128,18442.6 minN/A
Thurston County, Nebraska1,3988.5%101,76643.9 minN/A
Woodbury County, Iowa3,4679.5%1,970,56631.6 min12.6%
Wayne County, Nebraska2,4277.9%212,54135.0 minN/A
Nebraska average3,59811.5%N/A33.0 min17.5%

Dakota County ranked within Nebraska

Dakota County sits in the bottom quarter of the Nebraska field on average travel time, at #92 of 93.

Dakota County ranked among 93 county-level areas in Nebraska (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 61.
MeasureDakota CountyNebraska rank
Traffic volume (AADT)2,788#14 of 93
Highway vehicle-miles per day138,139#29 of 61
Truck share on highways12.0%#47 of 61
Highway trucks per day578#26 of 61
Average travel time28.9 min#92 of 93
Average driver income$75,667#23 of 93
Average driver age44.9 yrs#85 of 93

Dakota County ranks #14 of 93 on average daily traffic volume but #92 of 93 on average travel time - the two describe the same roads and are worth reading together rather than either on its own.

Busiest roads in Dakota County, Nebraska

On their busiest stretches, the three busiest roads in Dakota County carry 9,240 vehicles a day on average, 3.3 times the typical road in the county (2,788).

I 129 is the busiest road, at 10,383 vehicles a day, 1,519 of them trucks (14.6%). It also carries the most trucks.

Trips using US 20 are long: a median of 42.5 minutes against 28.9 county-wide, the mark of a through route.

Freight stands out on US 20: trucks are 17.1% of the traffic there, against 10.3% county-wide.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 129Motorway · 10,383vehicles1,519trucks · 14.6%
Road class
Motorway
Median trip time
27.4 min
Drivers’ median age
45.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$81,820

I 129 carries 3.7 times the county average at its busiest, 1,519 of them trucks (14.6%, above the county-wide 10.3%).

2NE 77Trunk road · 9,514vehicles975trucks · 10.2%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
31.3 min
Drivers’ median age
45.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$75,991

NE 77 carries 3.4 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 31.3 minutes.

3Dakota AvenueSecondary road · 7,824vehicles624trucks · 8.0%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
24.4 min
Drivers’ median age
43.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$78,027

At 2.8 times the county average, Dakota Avenue draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $78,027 in household income.

4Elk StreetTrunk road · 7,134vehicles626trucks · 8.8%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
35.0 min
Drivers’ median age
50.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$72,847

The busiest stretch of Elk Street carries 2.6 times the county average; trucks are 8.8% of it, below the county-wide 10.3%.

5IBP AvenueSecondary road · 7,061vehicles547trucks · 7.8%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
19.6 min
Drivers’ median age
43.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$81,104

IBP Avenue is a local road at heart: the median trip using it lasts 19.6 minutes, against 28.9 for the county.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 129Motorway · #1 by traffic10,383vehicles1,519trucks · 14.6%
2US 20Motorway · 6,512vehicles1,111trucks · 17.1%
Road class
Motorway
Median trip time
42.5 min
Drivers’ median age
49.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$76,001

On its busiest stretch, US 20 carries 2.3 times the county average; trucks are 17.1% of it, above the county-wide 10.3%.

3NE 77Trunk road · #2 by traffic9,514vehicles975trucks · 10.2%
4NE 20Trunk road · 6,369vehicles802trucks · 12.6%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
38.6 min
Drivers’ median age
49.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$73,692

Drivers on NE 20 are on long journeys, a median 38.6 minutes against 28.9 county-wide: a through route more than a local street.

5Elk StreetTrunk road · #4 by traffic7,134vehicles626trucks · 8.8%
How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

DakotaDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Dakota County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Dakota County, Nebraska.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.