Changes in Travel Time to Later Abortion Services Since the Dobbs Decision, 2021-2024

Objectives. To examine changes in travel time to later abortion services after the 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization decision. Methods. Using data on facilities providing procedural abortions at 14 or more and 24 or more weeks' gestation, we compared county-level driving times to the nearest facility across the contiguous United States in 2021 and 2024. We used population-weighted regression to evaluate changes nationally and by US Census region. Results. Between 2021 and 2024, national median driving times to facilities offering abortion care at 14 weeks or more increased from 25 to 45 minutes (P < .01), with substantial regional disparities ranging from decreases in the Northeast (-2 minutes) to large increases in the South (4 hours, 15 minutes). In the case of abortions at 24 weeks or more, national median travel times rose slightly (from 3 hours, 7 minutes in 2021 to 3 hours, 15 minutes in 2024; P = .09), with changes ranging from decreases in the Midwest (-1 hour, 1 minute) to increases in the South (1 hour, 55 minutes). Conclusions. The Dobbs decision led to increases in travel times for later abortion care at or after 14 weeks, especially in regions with abortion bans, exacerbating existing barriers and inequalities. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print July 30, 2026:e1-e9. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308595).