Origin
Granger, IA
Afternoon in Granger on Saturday
Local time
12:33 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Granger, IA to Ames, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
32 mi
51 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Granger, IA to Ames, IA covers 32 miles and takes about 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Kennedy Avenue, 230th Street, Northwest 142nd Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.5 miles on South Kennedy Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.00 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Kennedy Avenue | 11.5 mi | 16m |
| 230th Street | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| Northwest 142nd Street | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| 220th Street | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| Y Avenue | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| University Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Grand Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| South 4th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
South Kennedy Avenue
— 11.5 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Granger, IA and Ames, IA.
1
Start on Sycamore Street
8 ft
·
7 sec
·
Sycamore Street
2
Turn left onto CR F31
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
State Street
3
Continue on CR F31
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
190th Street
4
Enter roundabout onto IA 17
192 ft
·
3 sec
·
Northwest 142nd Street
5
Continue on IA 17
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Northwest 142nd Street
6
Continue on State Highway 17
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
·
State Highway 17
7
Continue on Y Avenue
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Y Avenue
8
Continue on IA 17
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
State Highway 17
9
Continue on IA 17
11 mi
·
16 min
·
South Kennedy Avenue
10
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward US 30 East: Ames
11
Merge onto US 30
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
220th Street
12
Continue on US 30
7.6 mi
·
8 min
·
230th Street
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Iowa State University
14
Turn left onto University Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
University Boulevard
15
Turn right onto South 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South 4th Street
16
Turn left onto South Grand Avenue
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Grand Avenue
17
Continue on I 35 Business; US 69
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Grand Avenue
18
Turn right onto I 35 Business
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
13th Street
19
Arrive at destination
I 35 Business
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 32 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16 miles from Granger, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 32 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR F31 / State Street
Turn left onto CR F31 / State Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IA 17 / Northwest 142nd Street
Enter roundabout onto IA 17 / Northwest 142nd Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
19.4 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the ramp toward US 30 East: Ames
Navigation decision point
Toward US 30 East: Ames
4
28.8 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward Iowa State University
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Iowa State University
4
32 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
I 35 Business / 13th Street
Turn right onto I 35 Business / 13th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.00 one way
$10.01 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.49 | $10.99 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.16 | $12.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.07 | $14.13 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.36 | $1.54 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.80 | $1.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.48 | $2.05 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Ames, IA
Afternoon in Ames on Saturday
Local time
12:33 PM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 22 mph
28% chance
Live forecast
50°F
Boone, IA
16 mi in
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
28 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
46m 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?
32 mi in 46m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.5 mi on South Kennedy Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 F31 / State Street.
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 46m 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: near the start (CR F31 / State Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (IA 17 / Northwest 142nd Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 19.4 miles: Navigation decision point.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Granger, IA to Ames, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Iowa State University along the way.
Iowa State University
28.8 mi in
|
~39m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 32 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (2%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.5 miles on South Kennedy Avenue. 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 F31 / State Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (IA 17 / Northwest 142nd Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 19.4 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ames, 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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