Origin
Madrid, IA
Night in Madrid on Friday
Local time
9:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Madrid, IA to West 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
38m
Distance
26.4 mi
43 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
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.
Madrid, IA
Wikimedia Commons
West Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Madrid, IA to West Des Moines, IA covers 26.4 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 Northwest 142nd Street, I 80, John MacVicar Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.1 miles on Northwest 142nd Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.13 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 26.4 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 (30%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Madrid, IA to West Des Moines, IA covers 26.4 miles and takes about 38m, 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 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Northwest 142nd Street is the longest continuous segment at about 6.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 17.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 26.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.9 miles (I 80; I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.2 miles (I 35): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
17.2 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward I-35 south, I-80 west: Kansas City, Council Bluffs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I-35 south, I-80 west: Kansas City, Coun...
5
17.9 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I 80; I 35
Merge onto I 80; I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
6
21.2 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
I 35
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
21.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Ramp 72 I
Take the exit onto Ramp 72 I toward I 235 East: West Des Moines, Des Moines
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 72A
Toward I 235 East: West Des Moines, Des Moines
8
24.8 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward Windsor Heights, West Des Moines
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 3
Toward Windsor Heights, West Des Moines
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Madrid, IA and West Des Moines, IA, road signs point toward Council Bluffs, Des Moines and Windsor Heights.
Council Bluffs
17.2 mi in
|
~24m
Des Moines
21.6 mi in
|
~30m
|
via Ramp 72 I
Windsor Heights
24.8 mi in
|
~35m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest 142nd Street | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| I 80 | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| John MacVicar Freeway | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| Northwest 114th Street | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Southeast Grimes Boulevard | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Northwest Granger Drive | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| Y Avenue | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| 8th Street | 1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Northwest 142nd Street
— 6.1 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Madrid, IA and West Des Moines, IA.
1
Start on IA 210
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
East 1st Street
2
Turn right onto IA 17
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Kennedy Avenue
3
Continue on IA 17
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
State Highway 17
4
Continue on IA 17
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Y Avenue
5
Continue on State Highway 17
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
·
State Highway 17
6
Continue on Northwest 142nd Street
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Northwest 142nd Street
7
Enter roundabout onto IA 17
110 ft
·
2 sec
·
Northwest 142nd Street
8
Continue on IA 17
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
·
Northwest 142nd Street
9
Take the ramp onto IA 17
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
IA 17
10
Merge onto IA 141
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Northwest Granger Drive
11
Continue on IA 141
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Northwest 114th Street
12
Continue on IA 141
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Northeast Grimes Boulevard
13
Continue on IA 141
0.6 mi
·
49 sec
·
Grimes Boulevard
14
Continue on IA 141
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Southeast Grimes Boulevard
15
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward I-35 south, I-80 west: Kansas City, Council Bluffs
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto I 80; I 35
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
I 80; I 35
Use the slight right lane.
17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
0.4 mi
·
26 sec
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit onto Ramp 72 I
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
Ramp 72 I
Exit 72A
Toward I 235 East: West Des Moines, Des Moines
Use the right lane.
19
Merge onto I 235
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
20
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 3
Toward Windsor Heights, West Des Moines
Use the slight right lane.
21
Turn right onto 8th Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
8th Street
Use the right lane.
22
Turn left onto Vine Street
468 ft
·
12 sec
·
Vine Street
23
Arrive at destination
Vine Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.13 one way
$8.25 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.53 | $9.06 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.08 | $10.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.83 | $11.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
West Des Moines, IA
Night in West Des Moines on Friday
Local time
9:55 PM
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
21 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
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 Madrid, IA to West Des Moines, IA covers 26.4 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Northwest 142nd Street, I 80, John MacVicar Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.2 miles from Madrid, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.13 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 short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 26.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.9 miles (I 80; I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.2 miles (I 35): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Madrid, IA and West Des Moines, IA, road signs point toward Council Bluffs, Des Moines and Windsor Heights.
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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