Origin
Greenfield, IA
Morning in Greenfield on Saturday
Local time
6:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Greenfield, IA to Des Moines, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 12m
Distance
59.9 mi
96 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 15m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 23m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Greenfield, IA
Sam McCool
Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Greenfield, IA to Des Moines, IA covers 59.9 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 80, State Highway 25, John MacVicar Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 36 miles on I 80. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.36 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 12m. Total distance: 59.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 12m highway drive covering 59.9 miles, with most of the trip on I 80 and State Highway 25. The longest continuous stretch is about 36 miles on I 80.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 80 is the longest continuous segment at about 36 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and State Highway 25. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South 1st 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 1h 12m 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 (South 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (IA 92 / Southeast Kent Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.7 miles: 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.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South 1st Street
Turn right onto South 1st Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IA 92 / Southeast Kent Street
Turn left onto IA 92 / Southeast Kent Street
Navigation decision point
4
13.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
8
50.1 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
I 235 / John MacVicar Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 235 / John MacVicar Freeway toward I 235 East: Des Moines
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 123A
Toward I 235 East: Des Moines
8
59.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
Take the exit toward East Village, East 6th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue
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 8B
Toward East Village, East 6th Street, Pennsylva...
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 80 | 36 mi | 38m |
| State Highway 25 | 12.3 mi | 16m |
| John MacVicar Freeway | 8.9 mi | 11m |
| Southeast 6th Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Southeast Kent Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South 1st Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Public Square | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 36 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Greenfield, IA and Des Moines, IA.
1
Start on Public Square
316 ft
·
18 sec
·
Public Square
2
Turn right onto South 1st Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
South 1st Street
3
Turn left onto IA 92
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Southeast Kent Street
4
Turn left onto IA 25
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Southeast 6th Street
5
Continue on IA 25
12 mi
·
16 min
·
State Highway 25
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
7
Merge onto I 80; US 6
36 mi
·
38 min
·
I 80; US 6
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 235
8.9 mi
·
11 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
Exit 123A
Toward I 235 East: Des Moines
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 8B
Toward East Village, East 6th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
11
Turn left onto East University Avenue
100 ft
·
8 sec
·
East University Avenue
12
Arrive at destination
East University Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 29.9 mi from Greenfield, IA · 37m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.9 miles from Greenfield, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Des Moines, IA
The final approach into Des Moines, 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
$9.36 one way
$18.73 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.28 | $20.56 |
| premium | $4.89 | $11.53 | $23.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.23 | $26.45 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 21 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18 | 0 | $6.29 | $2.88 |
| Efficient EV | 15 | 0 | $5.24 | $2.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24 | 0 | $8.39 | $3.83 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (67% 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
Des Moines, IA
Morning in Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
6:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
36°F
Mostly Clear
NW 12 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
52°F
Adel, IA
30 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
14 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 12m 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 Greenfield, IA to Des Moines, IA covers 59.9 miles and takes about 1h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 80, State Highway 25, John MacVicar Freeway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 29.9 miles from Greenfield, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.36 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 1h 12m 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 (South 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (IA 92 / Southeast Kent Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.7 miles: Navigation decision point.
The route from Greenfield, IA to Des Moines, 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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