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Trip from Ankeny, IA to Melcher-Dallas, IA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 7m

Distance

50.1 mi

81 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 2m ★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 4m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Polk County, Iowa, United States

Ankeny, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Melcher-Dallas, IA, IA

Melcher-Dallas, IA

Talena Reese

Trip Overview

The drive from Ankeny, IA to Melcher-Dallas, IA covers 50.1 miles and takes about 1h 7m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on IA 5, Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway, County Road S45 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.5 miles on IA 5. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.83 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
IA 5 18.5 mi 21m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway 10.7 mi 12m
County Road S45 9.2 mi 16m
I 35 4.8 mi 5m
I 80 2.6 mi 2m
West 1st Street 1.4 mi 3m
Southwest Walnut Street 0.2 mi <1m
Northeast Main Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: IA 5 — 18.5 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Ankeny, IA and Melcher-Dallas, 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

1.4 mi · 3 min · West 1st Street
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 30 sec
Toward I-35 south: Des Moines
5

Merge onto I 35

4.7 mi · 5 min · I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Keep slight right at fork onto I 35

0.2 mi · 12 sec · I 35
Toward I 35 South, I 80: Kansas City, Council Bluffs, Davenport
7

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 2 min
Exit 137A Toward I 80 East: Davenport
8

Merge onto I 80

2.6 mi · 2 min · I 80
9

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 141 Toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des Moines Use the slight right lane.
10

Merge onto US 65

11 mi · 12 min · Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
12

Continue on IA 5

19 mi · 21 min · IA 5
13

Continue on CR S45

3.7 mi · 6 min · County Road S45
14

Keep slight left at fork onto CR S45

5.5 mi · 9 min · County Road S45
15

Continue on CR S45

461 ft · 14 sec · 1st Street Northwest
16

Turn left onto CR S45

367 ft · 9 sec · B Street Northwest
17

Turn right onto CR S45

462 ft · 9 sec · Northeast Main Street
18

Arrive at destination

CR S45

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Des Moines, IA, IA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Des Moines, IA

25 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

Altoona, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Altoona, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25 miles from Ankeny, 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 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

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

5
1.9 mi into trip | ~4m in | I 35

Merge onto I 35

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
6.6 mi into trip | ~9m in | I 35

Keep slight right at fork onto I 35 toward I 35 South, I 80: Kansas City, Council Bluffs, Davenport

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 35 South, I 80: Kansas City, Council B...
8
10.2 mi into trip | ~15m in

Take the exit toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des Moines

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 141 Toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des Moines

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.83 one way

$15.67 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $8.60 $17.20
premium $4.89 $9.64 $19.28
diesel $5.61 $11.06 $22.12

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15 0 $5.26 $2.40
Efficient EV 12.5 0 $4.38 $2.00
EV Truck/SUV 20 0 $7.01 $3.21

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (67% 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

Afternoon in Ankeny on Saturday

Local time

3:07 PM

CDT

Current temp

35°F

Mostly Clear

NW 14 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 18 at 2:33AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 17 at 10:38PM CDT until April 24 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

Melcher-Dallas, IA

Afternoon in Melcher-Dallas on Saturday

Local time

3:07 PM

CDT

Current temp

52°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

17 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

1h 7m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

50.1 mi in 1h 7m — 52% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: IA 5.

52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.5 mi on IA 5.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Southwest Walnut Street.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.1 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

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 1.9 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Ankeny, IA and Melcher-Dallas, IA, road signs point toward Council Bluffs, Davenport and Des Moines.

Council Bluffs

6.6 mi in | ~9m | via I 35

Davenport

6.6 mi in | ~9m | via I 35

Des Moines

10.2 mi in | ~15m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 7m. Total distance: 50.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 18.5 miles on IA 5. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Melcher-Dallas, IA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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 (Southwest Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Melcher-Dallas, 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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Explore More

Return Trip

Melcher-Dallas, IA to Ankeny, IA

Plan the drive back the other way.

48.8 mi 1h 6m

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