Origin
Des Moines, IA
Morning in Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
9:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Moines, IA to Pleasantville, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
27.5 mi
44 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Pleasantville, IA
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
The drive from Des Moines, IA to Pleasantville, IA covers 27.5 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on IA 5, Southeast 14th Street, Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.7 miles on IA 5. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.30 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 27.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 38m highway drive covering 27.5 miles, with most of the trip on IA 5 and Southeast 14th Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 16.7 miles on IA 5.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
IA 5 is the longest continuous segment at about 16.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on IA 5 and Southeast 14th Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East University Avenue.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 38m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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 3 miles (Indianola Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 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
4
3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Indianola Avenue
Turn left onto Indianola Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
10.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
IA 5
Take the exit onto IA 5 toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
4
26.8 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
CR G40 / County Highway G40
Turn left onto CR G40 / County Highway G40
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| IA 5 | 16.7 mi | 20m |
| Southeast 14th Street | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Southeast 6th Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Southridge Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| East 6th Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Indianola Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Jasper Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
IA 5
— 16.7 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Moines, IA and Pleasantville, 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
17 mi
·
20 min
·
IA 5
Toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
12
Turn left onto CR G40
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
County Highway G40
13
Continue on CR G40
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
West Jasper Street
14
Turn left onto South Washington Street
94 ft
·
4 sec
·
South Washington Street
15
Arrive at destination
South Washington Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.30 one way
$8.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.72 | $9.44 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.29 | $10.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.07 | $12.14 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.89 | $1.32 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11 | 0 | $3.85 | $1.76 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Pleasantville, IA
Morning in Pleasantville on Saturday
Local time
9:42 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
38m 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 Pleasantville, IA covers 27.5 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are IA 5, Southeast 14th Street, Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.7 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 $4.30 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 38m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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 3 miles (Indianola Avenue): Navigation decision point.
The route from Des Moines, IA to Pleasantville, 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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