Changes in Travel Time to Later Abortion Services Since the <i>Dobbs</i> Decision, 2021-2024.

Abstract

<b>Objectives.</b> To examine changes in travel time to later abortion services after the 2022 <i>Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization</i> decision. <b>Methods.</b> 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. <b>Results.</b> Between 2021 and 2024, national median driving times to facilities offering abortion care at 14 weeks or more increased from 25 to 45 minutes (<i>P</i> < .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; <i>P</i> = .09), with changes ranging from decreases in the Midwest (-1 hour, 1 minute) to increases in the South (1 hour, 55 minutes). <b>Conclusions.</b> The <i>Dobbs</i> 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. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. Published online ahead of print July 30, 2026:e1-e9. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308595).