Trip from Centerville, IA to Urbandale, IA

Drive Time

2h 12m

Distance

94.3 mi

152 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$14

one way

EV Charging

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 28 min

4 AM

2h 3m ★

6 AM

2h 12m

8 AM

2h 31m

10 AM

2h 19m

12 PM

2h 17m

3 PM

2h 20m

5 PM

2h 30m

8 PM

2h 7m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Centerville, IA

Tom Fisk

Urbandale, IA

ZaetaFlow Sec

Trip Overview

The drive from Centerville, IA to Urbandale, IA covers 94.3 miles and takes about 2h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on IA 5, North 18th Street, State Highway 5 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 35.9 miles on IA 5. 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.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

47.1 miles from Centerville, IA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 11m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 2h 12m highway drive covering 94.3 miles, with most of the trip on IA 5 and North 18th Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 35.9 miles on IA 5.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

IA 5 is the longest continuous segment at about 35.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on IA 5 and North 18th Street. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 77.2 miles in near US 65; IA 5 / Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway.

Route Complexity 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 94.3 miles you will encounter 13 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: at 77.2 miles (US 65; IA 5 / Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 84.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 90.4 miles (Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

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

77.2 mi into trip | ~1h 46m in | US 65; IA 5 / Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway

Merge onto US 65; IA 5 / Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the none lane.

84.7 mi into trip | ~1h 54m in

Take the exit toward IA 28: Norwalk, Martensdale

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. Exit 99 Toward IA 28: Norwalk, Martensdale

90.4 mi into trip | ~2h 4m in | Grand Avenue

Turn left onto Grand Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the none lane.

90.9 mi into trip | ~2h 5m in | 8th Street

Turn right onto 8th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the none lane.

94.3 mi into trip | ~2h 12m in | Maryland Drive

Turn right onto Maryland Drive

Navigation decision point

Towns Along This Route

On the drive from Centerville, IA to Urbandale, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Martensdale along the way.

Martensdale

84.7 mi in | ~1h 54m

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
IA 5	35.9 mi	49m
North 18th Street	20.7 mi	30m
State Highway 5	19.2 mi	22m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway	7.5 mi	8m
IA 28	5 mi	8m
73rd Street	1.9 mi	3m
South Main Street	0.8 mi	1m
8th Street	0.6 mi	1m

Longest stretch: IA 5 — 35.9 mi, about 49m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Centerville, IA and Urbandale, IA.

Start on North 13th Street

164 ft · 7 sec · North 13th Street

Continue on North 13th Street

289 ft · 22 sec · North 13th Street

Turn right onto East State Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · East State Street

Turn left onto IA 5

21 mi · 30 min · North 18th Street

Continue on IA 5

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Main Street

Keep slight left at fork onto IA 5

25 mi · 37 min · IA 5

Take the ramp onto IA 5

11 mi · 12 min · IA 5

Turn right

0.1 mi · 7 sec

Continue on IA 5

19 mi · 22 min · State Highway 5

Merge onto US 65; IA 5

7.5 mi · 8 min · Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway

Use the none lane.

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min

Exit 99 Toward IA 28: Norwalk, Martensdale Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Turn right onto IA 28

5.0 mi · 8 min · IA 28

Turn left onto Grand Avenue

0.5 mi · 59 sec · Grand Avenue

Use the none lane.

Turn right onto 8th Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · 8th Street

Use the none lane.

Continue on 73rd Street

1.9 mi · 3 min · 73rd Street

Use the none lane.

Continue on 72nd Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · 72nd Street

Turn right onto Roseland Drive

0.2 mi · 1 min · Roseland Drive

Turn left onto 70th Street

348 ft · 10 sec · 70th Street

Turn right onto Maryland Drive

13 ft · 0 sec · Maryland Drive

Arrive at destination

Maryland Drive

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 47.1 miles from Centerville, IA, or about 1h 11m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 35.9 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 80 miles or 1h 49m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 47.1 miles or 1h 11m 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 46m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Urbandale, IA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Centerville, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Centerville, IA

This is one driving day of about 94.3 miles and 2h 12m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Centerville, IA.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.

The longest stretch is on IA 5 for about 35.9 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 47.1 mi from Centerville, IA · 1h 11m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Des Moines, IA

47 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

Des Moines, IA to Urbandale, IA

8.8 mi · 14m

Pacing Suggestions

Des Moines, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Indiana, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 47.1 miles from Centerville, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Urbandale, IA

The final approach into Urbandale, IA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Urbandale, IA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$14.32 one way

$28.65 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 33 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.25	$15.79	$31.58
premium	$4.80	$17.80	$35.60
diesel	$5.64	$20.95	$41.90

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$14

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$39–$64

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 33 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	28.3	$9.90	$4.53
Efficient EV	23.6	$8.25	$3.77
EV Truck/SUV	37.7	$13.20	$6.04

Gas CO2

33 kg

EV CO2

11 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.

Forecast data refreshed 2 days ago

Origin

Centerville, IA

Afternoon in Centerville on Sunday

Local time

3:27 PM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Urbandale, IA

Afternoon in Urbandale on Sunday

Local time

3:27 PM

CDT

Current temp

44°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

6 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

2h 12m 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 Centerville, IA to Urbandale, IA covers 94.3 miles and takes about 2h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are IA 5, North 18th Street, State Highway 5. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 47.1 miles from Centerville, 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.