Origin
Des Moines, IA
Morning in Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
8:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Moines, IA to Granger, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
21.3 mi
34 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Moines, IA to Granger, IA covers 21.3 miles and takes about 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 2nd Avenue, Northwest 2nd Street, I 35 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.33 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 21.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m 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
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 30m drive with frequent turns across 21.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
2nd Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Des Moines, IA to Granger, IA is easy. At 30m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Des Moines, IA to Granger, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Avenue | — | — |
| Northwest 2nd Street | — | — |
| I 35 South | — | — |
| IA 141 West | — | — |
| Northwest Urbandale Drive | — | — |
| Southeast Grimes Boulevard | — | — |
| Northeast Grimes Boulevard | — | — |
| Northwest 114th Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
2nd Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Moines, IA and Granger, IA.
1
Start on East University Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East University Avenue
2
Turn right onto 2nd Avenue
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
2nd Avenue
3
Continue on Northwest 2nd Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Northwest 2nd Street
4
Turn left onto I 35 South, I 80 West
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
I 35 South, I 80 West
5
Merge slight left
7.3 mi
·
8 min
6
Take the exit slight right toward IA 141 West: Urbandale, Grimes
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
IA 141 West: Urbandale, Grimes
7
Turn right onto Northwest Urbandale Drive
197 ft
·
3 sec
·
Northwest Urbandale Drive
8
Continue on Southeast Grimes Boulevard
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Southeast Grimes Boulevard
9
Continue on Northeast Grimes Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Northeast Grimes Boulevard
10
Continue on Northwest 114th Street
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Northwest 114th Street
11
Continue on Northwest Granger Drive
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Northwest Granger Drive
12
Turn right onto Sycamore Street
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
Sycamore Street
13
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.33 one way
$6.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.66 | $7.31 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.10 | $8.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.70 | $9.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Granger, IA
Morning in Granger on Saturday
Local time
8:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
1 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
30m 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 Granger, IA covers 21.3 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 2nd Avenue, Northwest 2nd Street, I 35 South. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.7 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 $3.33 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.
The drive from Des Moines, IA to Granger, IA is easy. At 30m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Des Moines, IA to Granger, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Des Moines, IA to Granger, 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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