The drive from Ankeny, IA to Williamsburg, IA covers 91.6 miles and takes about 1h 43m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 80, I 35, IA 149 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 81.8 miles on I 80.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.32 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
45.8 miles from Ankeny, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 53m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 43m. Total distance: 91.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 43m highway drive covering 91.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 80 and I 35. The longest continuous stretch is about 81.8 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 13 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 81.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and I 35. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Southwest Walnut Street.
Driving Effort5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 91.6 miles you will encounter 11 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.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 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
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...
5
6.8 mi into trip|~10m in
Take the exit toward I 80 East: Davenport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 137A
Toward I 80 East: Davenport
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 Williamsburg, IA, road signs point toward Council Bluffs and Davenport.
Council Bluffs
6.6 mi in|~9m|via I 35
Davenport
6.6 mi in|~9m|via I 35
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 80
81.8 mi
1h 28m
I 35
4.8 mi
5m
IA 149
1.7 mi
2m
West 1st Street
1.4 mi
3m
Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi
<1m
West Welsh Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Court Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Southwest 3rd Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 81.8 mi, about 1h 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ankeny, IA and Williamsburg, 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 137AToward I 80 East: Davenport
8
Merge onto I 80
82 mi·1 hr 28 min·I 80
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Toward IA 149 South, CR B77 North: Williamsburg, Parnell
10
Turn right onto IA 149
1.7 mi·2 min·IA 149
11
Turn right onto West Welsh Street
399 ft·9 sec·West Welsh Street
12
Turn right onto Court Street
142 ft·6 sec·Court Street
13
Arrive at destination
Court 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 45.8 miles from Ankeny, IA, or about 53m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 81.8 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 20 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 45.8 miles or 53m 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 24m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Williamsburg, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Ankeny, IA
This is one driving day of about 91.6 miles and 1h 43m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Ankeny, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 80 for about 81.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 45.8 mi from Ankeny, IA
· 53m into the drive
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
27.5
0
$9.62
$4.40
Efficient EV
22.9
0
$8.01
$3.66
EV Truck/SUV
36.6
0
$12.82
$5.86
Gas CO2
32 kg
EV CO2
11 kg (66% 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 15, 2026
Origin
Ankeny, IA
Late night
in Ankeny on Friday
Local time
5:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Williamsburg, IA
Late night
in Williamsburg on Friday
Local time
5:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
72°F
Newton, IA
46 mi in
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
2 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 43m 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 Ankeny, IA to Williamsburg, IA covers 91.6 miles and takes about 1h 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 80, I 35, IA 149. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 45.8 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 $14.32 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 91.6 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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.
Between Ankeny, IA and Williamsburg, IA, road signs point toward Council Bluffs and Davenport.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
EV charging comes from the
NREL Alternative Fuels
dataset.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
