Origin
Boone, IA
Late night in Boone on Saturday
Local time
4:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Boone, IA to Ames, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
17.7 mi
28 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boone, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Boone, IA to Ames, IA covers 17.7 miles and takes about 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 230th Street, 220th Street, Story Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.6 miles on 230th Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.77 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 17.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m 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 25m drive with frequent turns across 17.7 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.
230th Street is the longest continuous segment at about 7.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Story 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 25m drive. You will face about 4 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 (Story Street): Navigation decision point; at 14.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 15.9 miles (South 4th Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
4 of 4 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Story Street
Turn right onto Story Street
Navigation decision point
4
14.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward Iowa State University
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Iowa State University
3
15.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
South 4th Street
Turn right onto South 4th Street
Navigation decision point
4
17.7 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
I 35 Business / 13th Street
Turn right onto I 35 Business / 13th Street
Navigation decision point
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 Boone, IA to Ames, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Iowa State University along the way.
Iowa State University
14.5 mi in
|
~18m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 230th Street | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| 220th Street | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Story Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| University Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Grand Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| South 4th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Grand Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 13th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
230th Street
— 7.6 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Boone, IA and Ames, IA.
1
Start on Mamie Eisenhower Avenue
67 ft
·
5 sec
·
Mamie Eisenhower Avenue
2
Turn right onto Story Street
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Story Street
3
Turn left onto US 30
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
220th Street
4
Continue on US 30
7.6 mi
·
8 min
·
230th Street
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Iowa State University
6
Turn left onto University Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
University Boulevard
7
Turn right onto South 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South 4th Street
8
Turn left onto South Grand Avenue
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Grand Avenue
9
Continue on I 35 Business; US 69
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Grand Avenue
10
Turn right onto I 35 Business
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
13th Street
11
Arrive at destination
I 35 Business
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.77 one way
$5.53 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.04 | $6.08 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.41 | $6.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.91 | $7.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.55 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Ames, IA
Late night in Ames on Saturday
Local time
4:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°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
25m 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 Boone, IA to Ames, IA covers 17.7 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 230th Street, 220th Street, Story Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.8 miles from Boone, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.77 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 25m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Story Street): Navigation decision point; at 14.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 15.9 miles (South 4th Street): Navigation decision point.
On the drive from Boone, IA to Ames, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Iowa State University 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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