The drive from Ankeny, IA to Fairfax, IA covers 106.7 miles and takes about 2h 13m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Lincoln Highway, Northeast Hubbell Road, 73rd Street for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 37 miles on Lincoln Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
53.4 miles from Ankeny, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 8m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 13m. Total distance: 106.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 2h 13m drive with frequent turns across 106.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Lincoln Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 37 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Southwest Walnut Street.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Ankeny, IA to Fairfax, IA is easy. At 2h 13m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Southwest Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 38.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|Southwest Walnut Street
Turn right onto Southwest Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|West 1st Street
At end of road, turn right onto West 1st Street
Navigation decision point
4
38.4 mi into trip|~50m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
4
103.2 mi into trip|~2h 5m in
Take the exit toward Fairfax
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Fairfax
6
106.6 mi into trip|~2h 13m in|Vanderbilt Street
At end of road, turn right onto Vanderbilt Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Lincoln Highway
37 mi
42m
Northeast Hubbell Road
28 mi
32m
73rd Street
27.3 mi
31m
Northeast 94th Avenue
8.5 mi
13m
West 1st Street
1.8 mi
4m
80th Street Southwest
1.8 mi
4m
Williams Boulevard
0.9 mi
1m
Losey Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Lincoln Highway
— 37 mi, about 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ankeny, IA and Fairfax, IA.
1
Start on Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft·4 sec·Southwest 3rd Street
2
Turn right onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi·37 sec·Southwest Walnut Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto West 1st Street
1.8 mi·4 min·West 1st Street
4
Continue on Northeast 94th Avenue
8.5 mi·13 min·Northeast 94th Avenue
5
Turn left onto US 65; IA 330
28 mi·32 min·Northeast Hubbell Road
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
7
Merge onto US 30
37 mi·42 min·Lincoln Highway
8
Continue on US 30
27 mi·31 min·73rd Street
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward Fairfax
10
Turn right onto 80th Street Southwest
1.8 mi·4 min·80th Street Southwest
11
Turn right onto US 151
0.9 mi·1 min·Williams Boulevard
12
Turn left onto Losey Avenue
46 ft·2 sec·Losey Avenue
13
Continue on Losey Avenue
0.2 mi·53 sec·Losey Avenue
14
At end of road, turn right onto Vanderbilt Street
495 ft·21 sec·Vanderbilt Street
15
Arrive at destination
Vanderbilt Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 53.4 miles from Ankeny, IA, or about 1h 8m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 37 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 23 miles or 32m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 53.4 miles or 1h 8m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 47m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fairfax, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Ankeny, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Ankeny, IA
This is one driving day of about 106.7 miles and 2h 13m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Ankeny, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Lincoln Highway for about 37 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 53.4 mi from Ankeny, IA
· 1h 8m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.68 one way
$33.36 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg37 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$18.32
$36.63
premium
$4.89
$20.53
$41.07
diesel
$5.61
$23.56
$47.12
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$17
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 37.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
3 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: good
Red E Charging Station
Marshalltown, Iowa
Other
1 DCFC
InCharge Energy Charging Station
Newhall, Iowa
InCharge
1 DCFC
Blink Charging Station
Marshalltown, Iowa
Blink
1 DCFC
Other: 1
InCharge: 1
Blink: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
32
0
$11.20
$5.12
Efficient EV
26.7
0
$9.34
$4.27
EV Truck/SUV
42.7
0
$14.94
$6.83
Gas CO2
37 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (68% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Ankeny, IA
Late night
in Ankeny on Saturday
Local time
5:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
35°F
Mostly Clear
NW 14 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Fairfax, IA
Late night
in Fairfax on Saturday
Local time
5:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
14 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 13m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Ankeny, IA to Fairfax, IA covers 106.7 miles and takes about 2h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Lincoln Highway, Northeast Hubbell Road, 73rd Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 53.4 miles from Ankeny, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.68 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.
The drive from Ankeny, IA to Fairfax, IA is easy. At 2h 13m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Southwest Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 38.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from Ankeny, IA to Fairfax, 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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
