Origin
Des Moines, IA
Late night in Des Moines on Friday
Local time
4:28 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Moines, IA to Adel, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
23.2 mi
37 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Adel, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Moines, IA to Adel, IA covers 23.2 miles and takes about 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Hickman Road, John MacVicar Freeway, 290th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.6 miles on Hickman Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.63 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 23.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Des Moines, IA to Adel, IA covers 23.2 miles and takes about 33m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Hickman Road is the longest continuous segment at about 9.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East University Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 23.2 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (East University Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.2 miles (Pennsylvania Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.8 miles (Ramp 72 E): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East University Avenue
Turn uturn onto East University Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Pennsylvania Avenue
Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue
Navigation decision point
8
8.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Ramp 72 E
Take the exit onto Ramp 72 E toward I 35 North, I 80 East: Minneapolis, Chicago
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 123B
Toward I 35 North, I 80 East: Minneapolis, Chic...
7
9.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 80
Merge onto I 80 toward I-35 north, I-80 east: Chicago, Minneapolis
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I-35 north, I-80 east: Chicago, Minneapo...
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward US 6
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 6
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Des Moines, IA and Adel, IA, road signs point toward Chicago and Minneapolis.
Chicago
8.8 mi in
|
~12m
|
via Ramp 72 E
Minneapolis
9.2 mi in
|
~13m
|
via I 80
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hickman Road | 9.6 mi | 14m |
| John MacVicar Freeway | 8 mi | 10m |
| 290th Street | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| I 80 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Greene Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Ramp 72 E | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East University Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Hickman Road
— 9.6 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Moines, IA and Adel, IA.
1
Start on East University Avenue
481 ft
·
39 sec
·
East University Avenue
2
Turn uturn onto East University Avenue
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
East University Avenue
3
Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
4
Continue on East 6th Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
East 6th Street
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I-235 west
6
Merge onto I 235
8.0 mi
·
10 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit onto Ramp 72 E
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
Ramp 72 E
Exit 123B
Toward I 35 North, I 80 East: Minneapolis, Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 80
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 80
Toward I-35 north, I-80 east: Chicago, Minneapolis
Use the slight right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward US 6
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto US 6
9.6 mi
·
14 min
·
Hickman Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
11
Continue on US 6
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
290th Street
12
Continue on US 6
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Greene Street
13
Turn right onto US 169
16 ft
·
0 sec
·
Nile Kinnick Drive South
14
Arrive at destination
US 169
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.63 one way
$7.25 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.98 | $7.96 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.46 | $8.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.12 | $10.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.1 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 | 7 | 0 | $2.44 | $1.11 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.03 | $0.93 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.25 | $1.48 |
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.
Destination
Adel, IA
Late night in Adel on Friday
Local time
4:28 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
33m 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 Des Moines, IA to Adel, IA covers 23.2 miles and takes about 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Hickman Road, John MacVicar Freeway, 290th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.6 miles from Des Moines, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.63 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 23.2 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East University Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.2 miles (Pennsylvania Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.8 miles (Ramp 72 E): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Des Moines, IA and Adel, IA, road signs point toward Chicago and Minneapolis.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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