Origin
Des Moines, IA
Late night in Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
5:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Moines, IA to Corydon, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 51m
Distance
73.1 mi
118 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 43m
★
6 AM
1h 51m
8 AM
2h 7m
10 AM
1h 57m
12 PM
1h 55m
3 PM
1h 58m
5 PM
2h 7m
8 PM
1h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Corydon, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Moines, IA to Corydon, IA covers 73.1 miles and takes about 1h 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on State Highway 14, IA 5, County Road S45 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23 miles on State Highway 14. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.43 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
36.6 miles from Des Moines, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 53m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 51m. Total distance: 73.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Des Moines, IA to Corydon, IA covers 73.1 miles and takes about 1h 51m, 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 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. You will hit about 16 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
5/10
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 73.1 miles you will encounter 16 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 38.5 miles (CR S45 / B Street Northwest): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 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
5
38.5 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
CR S45 / B Street Northwest
Turn left onto CR S45 / B Street Northwest
Navigation decision point
5
38.5 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
CR S45 / Northeast Main Street
Turn right onto CR S45 / Northeast Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
73 mi into trip
|
~1h 50m in
|
IA 2 / East Jefferson Street
Turn right onto IA 2 / East Jefferson Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Highway 14 | 23 mi | 34m |
| IA 5 | 19 mi | 22m |
| County Road S45 | 9.2 mi | 16m |
| 260th Avenue | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| Southeast 14th Street | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| County Highway S45 | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Southeast 6th Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
State Highway 14
— 23 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Moines, IA and Corydon, 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
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East 6th Street
5
Continue on Southeast 6th Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Southeast 6th Street
6
Turn left onto Indianola Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Indianola Avenue
7
Turn slight right onto US 69
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Southeast 14th Street
8
Continue on US 69
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Southridge Boulevard
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
10
Merge onto IA 5
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
11
Take the exit onto IA 5
19 mi
·
22 min
·
IA 5
Toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
12
Continue on CR S45
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
County Road S45
13
Keep slight left at fork onto CR S45
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
County Road S45
14
Continue on CR S45
461 ft
·
14 sec
·
1st Street Northwest
15
Turn left onto CR S45
367 ft
·
9 sec
·
B Street Northwest
16
Turn right onto CR S45
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Northeast Main Street
17
Continue on CR S45
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
18
At end of road, turn right onto CR G76; CR S45
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
County Highway G76
19
Turn left onto CR S45
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
County Highway S45
20
Continue on CR S45
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
50th Place
21
Continue on CR S45
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
260th Avenue
22
Turn right onto IA 14
6.4 mi
·
9 min
·
State Highway 14
23
Continue on IA 14
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North 7th Street
24
Turn right onto IA 14; US 34 Business
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Woodlawn Avenue
25
Continue on IA 14; US 34 Business
492 ft
·
8 sec
·
State Highway 14
26
Continue on IA 14; US 34 Business
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
South Main Street
27
Continue on IA 14
16 mi
·
24 min
·
State Highway 14
28
Continue on IA 14
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Washington Street
29
At end of road, turn left onto IA 14
242 ft
·
6 sec
·
East Jackson Street
30
Turn right onto IA 14
460 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Lafayette Street
31
Turn right onto IA 2
460 ft
·
13 sec
·
East Jefferson Street
32
Turn left onto South Franklin Street
86 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Franklin Street
33
Arrive at destination
South Franklin Street
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 36.6 miles from Des Moines, IA, or about 53m 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 36.6 miles or 53m 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 34m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Corydon, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Des Moines, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Des Moines, IA
This is one driving day of about 73.1 miles and 1h 51m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Des Moines, 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 36.6 mi from Des Moines, IA · 53m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
37 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 36.6 miles from Des Moines, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Corydon, IA
The final approach into Corydon, IA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.43 one way
$22.86 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $12.55 | $25.10 |
| premium | $4.89 | $14.07 | $28.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.14 | $32.28 |
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: 25.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.9 | 0 | $7.68 | $3.51 |
| Efficient EV | 18.3 | 0 | $6.40 | $2.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.2 | 0 | $10.23 | $4.68 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (65% 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
Corydon, IA
Late night in Corydon on Saturday
Local time
5:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
36°F
Partly Cloudy
NW 16 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
69°F
Altoona, IA
37 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
16 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
1h 51m 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 Des Moines, IA to Corydon, IA covers 73.1 miles and takes about 1h 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are State Highway 14, IA 5, County Road S45. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 36.6 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 $11.43 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 73.1 miles you will encounter 16 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 38.5 miles (CR S45 / B Street Northwest): Navigation decision point.
The route from Des Moines, IA to Corydon, 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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