Trip from Ankeny, IA to Stuart, IA

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

Drive Time

59m

Distance

48.6 mi

78 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min

4 AM

0h 54m ★

6 AM

0h 59m

8 AM

1h 9m

10 AM

1h 3m

12 PM

1h 2m

3 PM

1h 3m

5 PM

1h 8m

8 PM

0h 56m

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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Trip Overview

The drive from Ankeny, IA to Stuart, IA covers 48.6 miles and takes about 59m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 80, Northwest 2nd Street, Southwest State Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 41 miles on I 80. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.60 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 59m. Total distance: 48.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

59m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (84%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 59m highway drive covering 48.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 80 and Northwest 2nd Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 41 miles on I 80.

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.

I 80 is the longest continuous segment at about 41 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,211 ft 816 ft

Total Climb

553 ft

Total Descent

335 ft

Highest Point

1,211 ft

~48.6 mi in

Elevation Range

395 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and Northwest 2nd Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Southwest Walnut Street.

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 59m drive. You will face about 6 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 (Southwest Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Southwest Ordnance Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.7 miles (I 80; I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 6 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4

0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Southwest Walnut Street

Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street

Navigation decision point

5

0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Southwest Ordnance Road

At end of road, turn right onto Southwest Ordnance Road

Navigation decision point

5

6.7 mi into trip | ~12m in | I 80; I 35

Merge onto I 80; I 35

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

7

18 mi into trip | ~25m in | I 80

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 toward I 80 West: Omaha

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 80 West: Omaha

5

47.7 mi into trip | ~57m in

Take the exit toward CR P28: Stuart, Panora

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

Toward CR P28: Stuart, Panora

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
I 80	41 mi	45m
Northwest 2nd Street	2.6 mi	3m
Southwest State Street	2.5 mi	4m
Southwest Ordnance Road	0.9 mi	1m
South Division Street	0.6 mi	1m
Southwest Walnut Street	0.4 mi	1m
Southwest 3rd Street	<0.1 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: I 80 — 41 mi, about 45m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Ankeny, IA and Stuart, IA.

1

Start on Southwest 3rd Street

48 ft · 7 sec · Southwest 3rd Street

2

Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Southwest Walnut Street

3

At end of road, turn right onto Southwest Ordnance Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · Southwest Ordnance Road

4

Turn left onto Southwest State Street

2.5 mi · 4 min · Southwest State Street

5

Continue on IA 415

2.6 mi · 3 min · Northwest 2nd Street

6

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 49 sec

7

Merge onto I 80; I 35

11 mi · 12 min · I 80; I 35

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

8

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80

30 mi · 32 min · I 80

Toward I 80 West: Omaha Use the straight / slight right lanes.

9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 38 sec

Toward CR P28: Stuart, Panora

10

Turn right onto CR P28

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Division Street

11

Arrive at destination

CR P28

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 24.3 mi from Ankeny, IA · 32m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Clive, IA

24 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

Urbandale, IA

Fuel and coffee

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

Waukee, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.3 miles from Ankeny, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Stuart, IA

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Stuart, IA if you are unfamiliar with the area.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.60 one way

$15.20 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.36	$8.34	$16.68
premium	$4.89	$9.35	$18.71
diesel	$5.61	$10.73	$21.46

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 17 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	14.6	$5.10	$2.33
Efficient EV	12.2	$4.25	$1.94
EV Truck/SUV	19.4	$6.80	$3.11

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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

Morning in Ankeny on Saturday

Local time

11:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

53°F

Sunny

WNW 13 to 21 mph 1% 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

Stuart, IA

Morning in Stuart on Saturday

Local time

11:12 AM

CDT

Current temp

73°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

20 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

59m 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 Stuart, IA covers 48.6 miles and takes about 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 80, Northwest 2nd Street, Southwest State Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 24.3 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 $7.60 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 59m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Southwest Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Southwest Ordnance Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.7 miles (I 80; I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Ankeny, IA to Stuart, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 816 ft to 1,211 ft elevation with about 553 ft of total climbing.

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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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