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Trip from Dallas Center, IA to Ankeny, IA

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

Drive Time

40m

Distance

22.2 mi

36 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m

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

human settlement in Dallas County, Iowa, United States of America

Dallas Center, IA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Polk County, Iowa, United States

Ankeny, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Dallas Center, IA to Ankeny, IA is 22.2 miles and takes about 40m via 240th Street, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip keeps you within the Midwest, traveling between two locations in Iowa. Expect a local drive with plenty of turns rather than a highway cruise. Given the brief distance and duration, this route is best suited for a single-day excursion with minimal planning required.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
240th Street 5.4 mi 7m
Northwest 70th Avenue 3.7 mi 6m
West 1st Street 2.7 mi 4m
East 1st Street 1.6 mi 3m
Southwest State Street 1.5 mi 2m
Northwest 26th Street 1.5 mi 2m
Southwest Oralabor Road 1.4 mi 2m
Northwest 66th Avenue 1.3 mi 2m
Longest stretch: 240th Street — 5.4 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Dallas Center, IA and Ankeny, IA.

1

Start on Walnut Street

32 ft · 5 sec · Walnut Street
2

Turn right onto CR R16

0.3 mi · 52 sec · 14th Street
3

At end of road, turn right onto IA 44

0.6 mi · 1 min · Sugar Grove Avenue
4

Continue on IA 44

5.4 mi · 7 min · 240th Street
5

Continue on IA 44

2.7 mi · 4 min · West 1st Street
6

Continue on IA 44

1.6 mi · 3 min · East 1st Street
7

Enter roundabout onto Northwest 70th Avenue

94 ft · 1 sec · Northwest 70th Avenue
8

Continue on Northwest 70th Avenue

0.4 mi · 39 sec · Northwest 70th Avenue
9

Enter roundabout onto Northwest 70th Avenue

126 ft · 2 sec · Northwest 70th Avenue
10

Continue on Northwest 70th Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Northwest 70th Avenue
11

Enter roundabout onto Northwest 70th Avenue

110 ft · 2 sec · Northwest 70th Avenue
12

Continue on Northwest 70th Avenue

2.7 mi · 4 min · Northwest 70th Avenue
13

Turn right onto Northwest Beaver Drive

0.8 mi · 1 min · Northwest Beaver Drive
14

Continue on Northwest 66th Avenue

1.3 mi · 2 min · Northwest 66th Avenue
15

Turn left onto Northwest 26th Street

1.5 mi · 2 min · Northwest 26th Street
16

Turn right onto IA 415

0.2 mi · 16 sec · Northwest 78th Avenue
17

Continue on IA 415

1.4 mi · 2 min · Southwest Oralabor Road
18

Turn left onto Southwest State Street

1.5 mi · 2 min · Southwest State Street
19

Turn right onto Southwest Ordnance Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · Southwest Ordnance Road
20

Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Southwest Walnut Street
21

Turn right onto Southwest 3rd Street

48 ft · 2 sec · Southwest 3rd Street
22

Arrive at destination

Southwest 3rd Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 11.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | CR R16 / 14th Street

Turn right onto CR R16 / 14th Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | IA 44 / Sugar Grove Avenue

At end of road, turn right onto IA 44 / Sugar Grove Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
10.5 mi into trip | ~17m in | Northwest 70th Avenue

Enter roundabout onto Northwest 70th Avenue

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
10.9 mi into trip | ~17m in | Northwest 70th Avenue

Enter roundabout onto Northwest 70th Avenue

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
11.5 mi into trip | ~19m in | Northwest 70th Avenue

Enter roundabout onto Northwest 70th Avenue

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.47 one way

$6.94 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $3.81 $7.62
premium $4.89 $4.27 $8.54
diesel $5.61 $4.90 $9.80

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.7 0 $2.33 $1.07
Efficient EV 5.6 0 $1.94 $0.89
EV Truck/SUV 8.9 0 $3.11 $1.42

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Dallas Center, IA

Afternoon in Dallas Center on Saturday

Local time

2:53 PM

CDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Ankeny, IA

Afternoon in Ankeny on Saturday

Local time

2:53 PM

CDT

Current temp

53°F

Sunny

WNW 13 to 21 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 18 at 2:33AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 17 at 10:38PM CDT until April 24 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

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

2 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

40m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This is a turn-heavy local drive with no highway time, so be prepared for frequent changes in direction. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.4 miles along 240th Street. As you navigate using roads like Northwest 70th Avenue and West 1st Street, the landscape will likely feel consistently rural or suburban without the high speeds of interstate travel. The character of the drive is defined by its local roads and the continuous need to adjust your course.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.4 mi on 240th Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

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 CR R16 / 14th 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 40m drive. You will face about 11 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 (CR R16 / 14th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IA 44 / Sugar Grove Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 10.5 miles (Northwest 70th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 22.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

40m 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

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5.4 miles on 240th Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR R16 / 14th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IA 44 / Sugar Grove Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 10.5 miles (Northwest 70th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ankeny, IA before heading back.

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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