Origin
Ames, IA
Late night in Ames on Saturday
Local time
4:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ames, IA to Ogden, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
24.1 mi
39 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Ogden, IA
Quang Nguyen Vinh
Trip Overview
The drive from Ames, IA to Ogden, IA covers 24.1 miles and takes about 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 30, University Boulevard, Grand Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.9 miles on US 30. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.77 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 24.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 33m highway drive covering 24.1 miles, with most of the trip on US 30 and University Boulevard. The longest continuous stretch is about 19.9 miles on US 30.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 30 is the longest continuous segment at about 19.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 30 and University Boulevard. 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
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 33m drive. You will face about 7 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.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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
23.5 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
South 1st Street
Turn right onto South 1st Street
Navigation decision point
4
24 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
CR E41 / East Walnut Street
Turn right onto CR E41 / East Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 30 | 19.9 mi | 23m |
| University Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Grand Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South 4th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South 1st Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Grand Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 13th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Walnut Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 30
— 19.9 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ames, IA and Ogden, 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
20 mi
·
23 min
·
US 30
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
9
Turn right onto South 1st Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South 1st Street
10
Turn right onto CR E41
87 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Walnut Street
11
Arrive at destination
CR E41
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.77 one way
$7.54 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.14 | $8.27 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.64 | $9.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.32 | $10.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.11 | $0.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.37 | $1.54 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Ogden, IA
Late night in Ogden on Saturday
Local time
4:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
33m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Ames, IA to Ogden, IA covers 24.1 miles and takes about 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 30, University Boulevard, Grand Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12 miles from Ames, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.77 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 33m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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.
The route from Ames, IA to Ogden, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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