Origin
Ames, IA
Afternoon in Ames on Saturday
Local time
12:33 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ames, IA to Granger, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
30.8 mi
50 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Ames, IA to Granger, IA covers 30.8 miles and takes about 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on S Avenue, US 30, Northwest 142nd Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.8 miles on S Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.82 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| S Avenue | 10.8 mi | 15m |
| US 30 | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| Northwest 142nd Street | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| 230th Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Y Avenue | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| University Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Grand Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South 4th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
S Avenue
— 10.8 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ames, IA and Granger, IA.
1
Start on I 35 Business
117 ft
·
11 sec
·
13th Street
2
Turn left onto I 35 Business; US 69
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Avenue
3
Continue on South Grand Avenue
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
South Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto South 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South 4th Street
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto University Boulevard
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
University Boulevard
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward US 30 west: Boone
7
Merge onto US 30
7.5 mi
·
8 min
·
US 30
8
Turn left onto 230th Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
230th Street
9
Turn left onto IA 17
11 mi
·
15 min
·
S Avenue
10
Continue on IA 17
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
State Highway 17
11
Continue on IA 17
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Y Avenue
12
Continue on State Highway 17
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
·
State Highway 17
13
Continue on Northwest 142nd Street
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Northwest 142nd Street
14
Enter roundabout onto CR F31
23 ft
·
0 sec
·
190th Street
15
Continue on CR F31
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
190th Street
16
Continue on CR F31
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
State Street
17
Turn right onto Sycamore Street
8 ft
·
0 sec
·
Sycamore Street
18
Arrive at destination
Sycamore Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 30.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.4 miles from Ames, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 30.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue
Turn left onto I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
South 4th Street
Turn right onto South 4th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward US 30 west: Boone
Navigation decision point
Toward US 30 west: Boone
4
12.2 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
IA 17 / S Avenue
Turn left onto IA 17 / S Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
30.3 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
CR F31 / 190th Street
Enter roundabout onto CR F31 / 190th Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.82 one way
$9.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.29 | $10.57 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.93 | $11.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.80 | $13.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.31 | $1.97 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Granger, IA
Afternoon in Granger on Saturday
Local time
12:33 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
50°F
Boone, IA
15 mi in
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
19 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
46m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
30.8 mi in 46m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 26% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on S Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 46m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (South 4th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 30.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (26%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on S Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (South 4th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Granger, IA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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