The drive from Manson, IA to Ankeny, IA covers 108.3 miles and takes about 2h 8m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 20, I 35, Tabor Avenue for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 50.2 miles on US 20.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.93 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
54.2 miles from Manson, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 6m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 8m. Total distance: 108.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
This is a 2h 8m highway drive covering 108.3 miles, with most of the trip on US 20 and I 35. The longest continuous stretch is about 50.2 miles on US 20.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 20 is the longest continuous segment at about 50.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 20 and I 35. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 10th Avenue.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 8m drive. You will face about 12 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 (10th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (8th Street): Navigation decision point; at 57.3 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|10th Avenue
Turn left onto 10th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|8th Street
At end of road, turn left onto 8th Street
Navigation decision point
5
57.3 mi into trip|~1h 10m in|I 35
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
106.4 mi into trip|~2h 4m in
Take the exit toward 1st Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 92
Toward 1st Street
5
106.7 mi into trip|~2h 4m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 20
50.2 mi
57m
I 35
49.1 mi
53m
Tabor Avenue
3.5 mi
6m
Sigourney Avenue
1.6 mi
2m
East 1st Street
1.4 mi
3m
220th Street
0.7 mi
<1m
8th Street
0.4 mi
<1m
10th Avenue
0.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
US 20
— 50.2 mi, about 57m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Manson, IA and Ankeny, IA.
1
Start on Main Street
35 ft·7 sec·Main Street
2
Turn left onto 10th Avenue
0.3 mi·1 min·10th Avenue
3
At end of road, turn left onto 8th Street
0.4 mi·38 sec·8th Street
4
Continue on Tabor Avenue
0.5 mi·54 sec·Tabor Avenue
5
Turn right onto IA 7
25 ft·5 sec·190th Street
6
Turn left onto Tabor Avenue
3.0 mi·5 min·Tabor Avenue
7
At end of road, turn right onto D26
0.7 mi·59 sec·220th Street
8
Turn left onto CR N65
1.6 mi·2 min·Sigourney Avenue
9
Turn left onto US 20
50 mi·57 min·US 20
10
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
11
Merge onto I 35
49 mi·53 min·I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi·34 sec
Exit 92Toward 1st Street
13
Keep slight right at fork
301 ft·9 sec
14
Turn straight onto East 1st Street
1.4 mi·3 min·East 1st Street
15
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi·40 sec·Southwest Walnut Street
16
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft·2 sec·Southwest 3rd Street
17
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 54.2 miles from Manson, IA, or about 1h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 50.2 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 24 miles or 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 54.2 miles or 1h 6m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 45m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ankeny, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Manson, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Manson, IA
This is one driving day of about 108.3 miles and 2h 8m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 24 miles from Manson, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 20 for about 50.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 54.2 mi from Manson, IA
· 1h 6m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.93 one way
$33.86 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg38 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$18.59
$37.18
premium
$4.89
$20.84
$41.68
diesel
$5.61
$23.91
$47.82
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$17
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 37.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
32.5
0
$11.37
$5.20
Efficient EV
27.1
0
$9.48
$4.33
EV Truck/SUV
43.3
0
$15.16
$6.93
Gas CO2
38 kg
EV CO2
13 kg (66% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Manson, IA
Morning
in Manson on Friday
Local time
8:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Ankeny, IA
Morning
in Ankeny on Friday
Local time
8:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
22 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
2h 8m 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 Manson, IA to Ankeny, IA covers 108.3 miles and takes about 2h 8m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 20, I 35, Tabor Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 54.2 miles from Manson, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.93 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 2h 8m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (10th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (8th Street): Navigation decision point; at 57.3 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Manson, IA to Ankeny, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
