Origin
Prairie City, IA
Morning in Prairie City on Saturday
Local time
8:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Prairie City, 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
26m
Distance
19.8 mi
32 km
Drive Score
4/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Prairie City, IA
Charles Criscuolo
Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Prairie City, IA to Des Moines, IA covers 19.8 miles and takes about 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South State Street, East 2nd Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.10 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 19.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 26m drive with frequent turns across 19.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 6 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South State Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Prairie City, IA to Des Moines, IA is easy. At 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Prairie City, IA to Des Moines, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South State Street | — | — |
| East 2nd Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
South State Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Prairie City, IA and Des Moines, IA.
1
Start on East 5th Street
344 ft
·
17 sec
·
East 5th Street
2
Turn right onto South State Street
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
South State Street
3
Turn right onto East 2nd Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East 2nd Street
4
Take the ramp right
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
5
Merge slight left
18 mi
·
26 min
6
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.10 one way
$6.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.40 | $6.80 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.81 | $7.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.37 | $8.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.08 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.73 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
8:57 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
1 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
26m 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 Prairie City, IA to Des Moines, IA covers 19.8 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South State Street, East 2nd Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.9 miles from Prairie City, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.10 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.
The drive from Prairie City, IA to Des Moines, IA is easy. At 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Prairie City, IA to Des Moines, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Prairie City, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Des Moines, IA
More from Prairie City, IA
More trips to Des Moines, IA
Explore more options from Prairie City, IA or browse trips ending in Des Moines, IA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IA road trips.