Origin
Ankeny, IA
Morning in Ankeny on Saturday
Local time
8:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ankeny, IA to Norwalk, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
23.9 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ankeny, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Norwalk, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Ankeny, IA to Norwalk, IA covers 23.9 miles and takes about 39m 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 south for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.74 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 23.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m 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 39m drive with frequent turns across 23.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 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 Norwalk, IA is easy. At 39m 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 Norwalk, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest Walnut Street | — | — |
| West 1st Street | — | — |
| I-35 south | — | — |
| I 235 West | — | — |
| John MacVicar Freeway | — | — |
| East 6th Street | — | — |
| East Village | — | — |
| Southeast 6th Street | — | — |
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 Norwalk, 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
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
West 1st Street
4
Take the ramp slight right toward I-35 south: Des Moines
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
·
I-35 south: Des Moines
5
Merge slight left
4.7 mi
·
5 min
6
Keep slight left to continue on I 235 West: Des Moines
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
I 235 West: Des Moines
7
Continue on John MacVicar Freeway
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
8
Take the exit slight right toward East 6th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Village
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
East 6th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Village
9
Keep slight right to continue on East Village, East 6th Street, Penn Avenue
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
East Village, East 6th Street, Penn Avenue
10
Turn left onto East 6th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East 6th Street
11
Continue on Southeast 6th Street
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Southeast 6th Street
12
Turn right onto Scott Avenue
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Scott Avenue
13
Continue on Southeast 1st Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Southeast 1st Street
14
Continue on Indianola Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Indianola Road
15
Turn left onto Bancroft Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Bancroft Street
16
Turn right onto Southwest 9th Street
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Southwest 9th Street
17
Continue on County Road R63
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
County Road R63
18
Turn right onto County Road G14
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
County Road G14
19
Continue on North Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Avenue
20
Turn right onto Main Street
82 ft
·
4 sec
·
Main Street
21
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.74 one way
$7.47 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.10 | $8.21 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.60 | $9.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Destination
Norwalk, IA
Morning in Norwalk on Saturday
Local time
8:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°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
4 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
39m 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 Norwalk, IA covers 23.9 miles and takes about 39m 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 south. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.9 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 $3.74 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 Norwalk, IA is easy. At 39m 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 Norwalk, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Ankeny, IA to Norwalk, 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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