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Trip from Ankeny, IA to Boone, IA

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

Drive Time

48m

Distance

38.6 mi

62 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 45m ★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 46m

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

city in Polk County, Iowa, United States

Ankeny, IA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Iowa, United States

Boone, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Ankeny, IA to Boone, IA covers 38.6 miles and takes about 48m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Southwest Walnut Street, West 1st Street, I 35 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.03 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 48m. Total distance: 38.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

48m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 48m drive with frequent turns across 38.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Southwest Walnut Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

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.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Ankeny, IA to Boone, IA is easy. At 48m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Ankeny, IA to Boone, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Southwest Walnut Street
West 1st Street
I 35
T Avenue
210th Street
Mamie Eisenhower Avenue

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Southwest Walnut Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Southwest 3rd Street

49 ft · 4 sec · Southwest 3rd Street
2

Turn right onto Southwest Walnut Street

0.2 mi · 37 sec · Southwest Walnut Street
3

At the end of the road, turn right onto West 1st Street

1.5 mi · 3 min · West 1st Street
4

Take the ramp slight left

0.3 mi · 42 sec
5

Merge slight left

18 mi · 19 min
6

Take the exit slight right toward Business I 35, US 30: Ames, Iowa State University, Nevada

0.3 mi · 40 sec · Business I 35, US 30: Ames, Iowa State University, Nevada
7

Keep slight left to continue on Business I 35, US 30 West: Ames, Iowa State University

13 mi · 15 min · Business I 35, US 30 West: Ames, Iowa State University
8

Turn slight right onto T Avenue

1.2 mi · 1 min · T Avenue
9

Turn left onto 210th Street

2.1 mi · 2 min · 210th Street
10

Continue on Mamie Eisenhower Avenue

2.4 mi · 3 min · Mamie Eisenhower Avenue
11

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 19.3 mi from Ankeny, IA · 24m into the drive

city in Story County, Iowa, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ames, IA

19 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.

Popular next leg

Ames, IA to Boone, IA

17.1 mi · 25m

Pacing Suggestions

Centerville, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ames, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.3 miles from Ankeny, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Boone, IA

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Boone, 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

$6.03 one way

$12.07 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.63 $13.25
premium $4.89 $7.43 $14.86
diesel $5.61 $8.52 $17.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.6 0 $4.05 $1.85
Efficient EV 9.7 0 $3.38 $1.54
EV Truck/SUV 15.4 0 $5.40 $2.47

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 Saturday

Local time

3:13 AM

CDT

Current temp

70°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Boone, IA

Late night in Boone on Saturday

Local time

3:13 AM

CDT

Current temp

50°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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

48m 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 Boone, IA covers 38.6 miles and takes about 48m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Southwest Walnut Street, West 1st Street, I 35. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 19.3 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 $6.03 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 Boone, IA is easy. At 48m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Ankeny, IA to Boone, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Ankeny, IA to Boone, 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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