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Trip from Centerville, 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

2h 2m

Distance

86.6 mi

139 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$14

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 26 min
4 AM
1h 54m ★
6 AM
2h 2m
8 AM
2h 20m
10 AM
2h 9m
12 PM
2h 7m
3 PM
2h 9m
5 PM
2h 19m
8 PM
1h 57m

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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city in and county seat of Appanoose County, Iowa, United States

Centerville, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Des Moines, IA, IA

Des Moines, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Centerville, IA to Des Moines, IA covers 86.6 miles and takes about 2h 2m 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 $13.54 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.

Midpoint

43.3 miles from Centerville, IA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 5m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 2m. Total distance: 86.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (64%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 2h 2m highway drive covering 86.6 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. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East State Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 2h 2m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East State Street): Navigation decision point; at 21.9 miles (IA 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 46.9 miles (IA 5): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 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 | East State Street

Turn right onto East State Street

Navigation decision point

4
21.9 mi into trip | ~33m in | IA 5

Keep slight left at fork onto IA 5

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

4
46.9 mi into trip | ~1h 11m in | IA 5

Take the ramp onto IA 5

Navigation decision point

4
78.7 mi into trip | ~1h 47m in

Take the exit toward US 69 North: Des Moines

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward US 69 North: Des Moines
5
85.8 mi into trip | ~2h in | East Locust Street

Turn right onto East Locust Street

Navigation decision point

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
Southeast 14th Street 2.4 mi 4m
Southeast 6th Street 1.8 mi 3m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway 1.5 mi 1m
Southridge Boulevard 1.4 mi 1m
South Main Street 0.8 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 Des Moines, IA.

1

Start on North 13th Street

164 ft · 7 sec · North 13th Street
2

Continue on North 13th Street

289 ft · 22 sec · North 13th Street
3

Turn right onto East State Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · East State Street
4

Turn left onto IA 5

21 mi · 30 min · North 18th Street
5

Continue on IA 5

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Main Street
6

Keep slight left at fork onto IA 5

25 mi · 37 min · IA 5
7

Take the ramp onto IA 5

11 mi · 12 min · IA 5
8

Turn right

0.1 mi · 7 sec
9

Continue on IA 5

19 mi · 22 min · State Highway 5
10

Merge onto US 65; IA 5

1.5 mi · 1 min · Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
11

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward US 69 North: Des Moines
12

Turn straight onto US 69

1.4 mi · 1 min · Southridge Boulevard
13

Continue on US 69

2.4 mi · 4 min · Southeast 14th Street
14

Turn slight left onto Indianola Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · Indianola Avenue
15

Turn right onto Southeast 6th Street

1.8 mi · 3 min · Southeast 6th Street
16

Continue on East 6th Street

0.3 mi · 36 sec · East 6th Street
17

Turn right onto East Locust Street

491 ft · 14 sec · East Locust Street
18

Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · Pennsylvania Avenue
19

Turn left onto East University Avenue

100 ft · 8 sec · East University Avenue
20

Arrive at destination

East University Avenue

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 43.3 miles from Centerville, IA, or about 1h 5m 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 19 miles or 29m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 43.3 miles or 1h 5m 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 41m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Des Moines, 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 86.6 miles and 2h 2m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Centerville, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
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 43.3 mi from Centerville, IA · 1h 5m into the drive

city and county seat of Knox County, State of Tennessee, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Knoxville, IA

43 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

Knoxville, IA to Des Moines, IA

37.3 mi · 50m

Pacing Suggestions

Albia, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Indiana, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 43.3 miles from Centerville, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Des Moines, IA

The final approach into Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, 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

$13.54 one way

$27.08 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 30 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $14.87 $29.73
premium $4.89 $16.67 $33.33
diesel $5.61 $19.12 $38.24

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: 30.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 26 0 $9.09 $4.16
Efficient EV 21.7 0 $7.58 $3.46
EV Truck/SUV 34.6 0 $12.12 $5.54

Gas CO2

30 kg

EV CO2

10 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 as of Apr 14, 2026

Origin

Centerville, IA

Morning in Centerville on Saturday

Local time

8:04 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Mostly Cloudy

SSW 14 to 20 mph 9% chance Live forecast

Tornado Watch

Tornado Watch issued April 13 at 8:03PM CDT until April 13 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA

Tornado Watch

Tornado Watch issued April 13 at 8:03PM CDT until April 13 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA

Destination

Des Moines, IA

Morning in Des Moines on Saturday

Local time

8:04 AM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Partly Cloudy

SSW 6 to 15 mph 4% chance Live forecast

Tornado Watch

Tornado Watch issued April 13 at 8:03PM CDT until April 13 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA

Tornado Watch

Tornado Watch issued April 13 at 8:03PM CDT until April 13 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA

73°F

Knoxville, IA

43 mi in

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

4 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 2m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 Des Moines, IA covers 86.6 miles and takes about 2h 2m 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 43.3 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 $13.54 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 2h 2m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East State Street): Navigation decision point; at 21.9 miles (IA 5): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 46.9 miles (IA 5): Navigation decision point.

The route from Centerville, IA to Des Moines, 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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