Corydon, IA to Des Moines, IA is 72.7 miles and takes about 1h 49m via State Highway 14, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, single-day journey connecting two points within the Midwest. You'll experience a mixed drive, mostly on state highways, making it a practical choice for a quick trip. The relatively short distance and manageable duration mean you can easily complete this drive without needing an overnight stay. Consider this route when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently within Iowa.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
36.3 miles from Corydon, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 57m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 49m. Total distance: 72.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 58% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on State Highway 14, State Highway 5, and County Road S45. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is 23 miles on State Highway 14, offering a good amount of consistent driving. Expect varied road conditions, moving between more direct highway travel and potentially more winding county roads. It's not a monotonous interstate crawl, nor is it a purely scenic, slow-paced adventure; it's a functional drive with moments of both speed and local character.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 33 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
State Highway 14 is the longest continuous segment at about 23 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IA 2 / West Jefferson Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 49m drive. You will face about 15 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 (IA 2 / West Jefferson Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (IA 14 / South Lafayette Street): Navigation decision point; at 18.1 miles (IA 14; US 34 Business / South 7th Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|IA 2 / West Jefferson Street
Turn right onto IA 2 / West Jefferson Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|IA 14 / South Lafayette Street
Turn left onto IA 14 / South Lafayette Street
Navigation decision point
5
18.1 mi into trip|~27m in|IA 14; US 34 Business / South 7th Street
At end of road, turn left onto IA 14; US 34 Business / South 7th Street
Navigation decision point
6
34.6 mi into trip|~54m in|CR S45 / B Street Northwest
At end of road, turn left onto CR S45 / B Street Northwest
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
34.7 mi into trip|~54m in|CR S45 / 1st Street Northwest
Turn right onto CR S45 / 1st Street Northwest
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
State Highway 14
23 mi
34m
State Highway 5
19.2 mi
22m
County Road S45
9.2 mi
16m
260th Avenue
3.6 mi
6m
Southeast 14th Street
2.4 mi
4m
County Highway S45
1.9 mi
3m
Southeast 6th Street
1.8 mi
3m
50th Place
1.7 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
State Highway 14
— 23 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Corydon, IA and Des Moines, IA.
1
Start on South Franklin Street
86 ft·5 sec·South Franklin Street
2
Turn right onto IA 2
460 ft·13 sec·West Jefferson Street
3
Turn left onto IA 14
460 ft·13 sec·South Lafayette Street
4
Turn left onto IA 14
242 ft·6 sec·East Jackson Street
5
Turn right onto IA 14
0.7 mi·1 min·North Washington Street
6
Continue on IA 14
16 mi·24 min·State Highway 14
7
Continue on IA 14
0.4 mi·38 sec·Main Street
8
Turn straight onto IA 14; US 34 Business
492 ft·8 sec·State Highway 14
9
Continue on IA 14; US 34 Business
0.2 mi·21 sec·Woodlawn Avenue
10
At end of road, turn left onto IA 14; US 34 Business
1.5 mi·2 min·South 7th Street
11
Continue on IA 14
6.4 mi·9 min·State Highway 14
12
Turn left onto CR S45
3.6 mi·6 min·260th Avenue
13
Continue on CR S45
1.7 mi·2 min·50th Place
14
Continue on CR S45
1.9 mi·3 min·County Highway S45
15
Turn right onto CR G76; CR S45
0.5 mi·58 sec·County Highway G76
16
Turn left onto CR S45
0.8 mi·1 min·South Main Street
17
Continue on CR S45
0.2 mi·24 sec·Northeast Main Street
18
At end of road, turn left onto CR S45
367 ft·9 sec·B Street Northwest
19
Turn right onto CR S45
461 ft·9 sec·1st Street Northwest
20
Continue on CR S45
9.2 mi·16 min·County Road S45
21
Continue on this road
0.1 mi·8 sec·this road
22
Continue on IA 5
19 mi·22 min·State Highway 5
23
Merge onto US 65; IA 5
1.5 mi·1 min·Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
24
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward US 69 North: Des Moines
25
Turn straight onto US 69
1.4 mi·1 min·Southridge Boulevard
26
Continue on US 69
2.4 mi·4 min·Southeast 14th Street
27
Turn slight left onto Indianola Avenue
0.7 mi·1 min·Indianola Avenue
28
Turn right onto Southeast 6th Street
1.8 mi·3 min·Southeast 6th Street
29
Continue on East 6th Street
0.3 mi·36 sec·East 6th Street
30
Turn right onto East Locust Street
491 ft·14 sec·East Locust Street
31
Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue
0.7 mi·1 min·Pennsylvania Avenue
32
Turn left onto East University Avenue
100 ft·8 sec·East University Avenue
33
Arrive at destination
East University Avenue
Trip Plan
Since this is a short, single-day trip of under two hours, you have a lot of flexibility with your departure time. Leaving in the morning allows you to arrive in Des Moines with plenty of the day left for activities. With a fuel cost estimated at $11, you won't need to worry too much about frequent refueling, but it's always wise to start with a full tank. Keep an eye out for the transitions between State Highway 14, State Highway 5, and County Road S45, as these shifts mark the changing character of the drive. Given the short distance, there's no need to plan for an overnight stop; you can easily complete the 72.7 miles in one go.
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 36.3 miles from Corydon, IA, or about 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 23 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 16 miles or 24m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 36.3 miles or 57m 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 31m
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 Corydon, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Corydon, IA
This is one driving day of about 72.7 miles and 1h 49m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Corydon, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on State Highway 14 for about 23 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 36.3 mi from Corydon, IA
· 57m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.37 one way
$22.73 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$12.48
$24.96
premium
$4.89
$13.99
$27.98
diesel
$5.61
$16.05
$32.10
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 64% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.8
0
$7.63
$3.49
Efficient EV
18.2
0
$6.36
$2.91
EV Truck/SUV
29.1
0
$10.18
$4.65
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (64% 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
Corydon, IA
Morning
in Corydon on Saturday
Local time
8:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Des Moines, IA
Morning
in Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
8:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
69°F
Altoona, IA
36 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
1 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
1h 49m 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 Corydon, IA to Des Moines, IA covers 72.7 miles and takes about 1h 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are State Highway 14, State Highway 5, County Road S45. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 36.3 miles from Corydon, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.37 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 1h 49m drive. You will face about 15 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (IA 2 / West Jefferson Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (IA 14 / South Lafayette Street): Navigation decision point; at 18.1 miles (IA 14; US 34 Business / South 7th Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Corydon, IA to Des Moines, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
