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Trip from Bondurant, IA to Des Moines, IA

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

Drive Time

19m

Distance

13.1 mi

21 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 18m ★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m

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

Downtown Bondurant, IA, IA

Bondurant, IA

Ron Lach

Downtown Des Moines, IA, IA

Des Moines, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Bondurant, IA to Des Moines, IA is 13.1 miles and takes about 19 minutes via US 65, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Iowa. Expect a straightforward drive that's ideal for a quick transition between locations. Given its brevity, this route is perfect for those who want to maximize their time at their destination. It's a practical choice for local travel within the state.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 13.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

19m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This drive is primarily highway-focused, with about 65% of the journey on main roads like US 65 and John MacVicar Freeway. You'll encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 4.5 miles on US 65. The character of the drive is consistent, offering a smooth experience as you navigate through the urban fringe. It’s not a route known for its winding turns or dramatic landscape changes, but rather for efficient travel.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 65 is the longest continuous segment at about 4.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 65 and John MacVicar Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Grant Street South.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 13.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 19m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Grant Street South): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (US 65): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Grant Street South

Turn left onto Grant Street South

Navigation decision point

7
3 mi into trip | ~5m in | US 65

Take the exit onto US 65 toward I 80 west, US 65 south: Des Moines

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 80 west, US 65 south: Des Moines
7
7.5 mi into trip | ~11m in

Take the exit toward I 235 West: Des Moines

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Exit 137A Toward I 235 West: Des Moines
8
12.1 mi into trip | ~17m in

Take the exit toward East 6th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Village

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 8B Toward East 6th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, Ea...
8
12.4 mi into trip | ~18m in

Keep slight right at fork toward East Village, East 6th Street, Penn Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward East Village, East 6th Street, Penn Aven...

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

On the drive from Bondurant, IA to Des Moines, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Village along the way.

Village

12.1 mi in | ~17m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 65 4.5 mi 5m
John MacVicar Freeway 4 mi 5m
Northeast Hubbell Road 1.4 mi 1m
Grant Street South 0.9 mi 2m
Northeast Hubbell Avenue 0.7 mi <1m
Pennsylvania Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
1st Street Southeast <0.1 mi <1m
East University Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 65 — 4.5 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bondurant, IA and Des Moines, IA.

1

Start on 1st Street Southeast

300 ft · 18 sec · 1st Street Southeast
2

Turn left onto Grant Street South

0.9 mi · 2 min · Grant Street South
3

Turn right onto US 65; IA 330

1.4 mi · 1 min · Northeast Hubbell Road
4

Continue on US 65; IA 330

0.7 mi · 58 sec · Northeast Hubbell Avenue
5

Take the exit onto US 65

4.5 mi · 5 min · US 65
Toward I 80 west, US 65 south: Des Moines Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 137A Toward I 235 West: Des Moines Use the slight left lane.
7

Continue on John MacVicar Freeway

4.0 mi · 5 min · John MacVicar Freeway
Toward I 235 West: Des Moines Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 38 sec
Exit 8B Toward East 6th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Village Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Toward East Village, East 6th Street, Penn Avenue Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue

0.3 mi · 34 sec · Pennsylvania Avenue
11

Turn left onto East University Avenue

100 ft · 8 sec · East University Avenue
12

Arrive at destination

East University Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.05 one way

$4.10 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $2.25 $4.50
premium $4.89 $2.52 $5.04
diesel $5.61 $2.89 $5.78

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.9 0 $1.38 $0.63
Efficient EV 3.3 0 $1.15 $0.52
EV Truck/SUV 5.2 0 $1.83 $0.84

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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

Bondurant, IA

Evening in Bondurant on Friday

Local time

8:52 PM

CDT

Current temp

72°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Des Moines, IA

Evening in Des Moines on Friday

Local time

8:52 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

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

19m 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 Bondurant, IA to Des Moines, IA covers 13.1 miles and takes about 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are US 65, John MacVicar Freeway, Northeast Hubbell Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 6.5 miles from Bondurant, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.05 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 short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 13.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 19m.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Grant Street South): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (US 65): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Bondurant, IA to Des Moines, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Village along the way.

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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