Origin
Prairie City, IA
Morning in Prairie City on Saturday
Local time
7:39 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Prairie City, 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
39m
Distance
26.4 mi
43 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
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.
Prairie City, IA
Charles Criscuolo
West Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Prairie City, IA to West Des Moines, IA covers 26.4 miles and takes about 39m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on IA 163, John MacVicar Freeway, 63rd Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17 miles on IA 163. 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 39m. Total distance: 26.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 39m highway drive covering 26.4 miles, with most of the trip on IA 163 and John MacVicar Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 17 miles on IA 163.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
IA 163 is the longest continuous segment at about 17 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on IA 163 and John MacVicar Freeway. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near IA 117 / South State Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 26.4 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (IA 117 / South State Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IA 117 / East 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 18.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IA 117 / South State Street
Turn right onto IA 117 / South State Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IA 117 / East 2nd Street
Turn right onto IA 117 / East 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
5
18.5 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the ramp toward I-235 west
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I-235 west
5
19.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
I 235 / John MacVicar Freeway
Merge onto I 235 / John MacVicar Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
8
24.6 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward IA 28: 63rd Street, Windsor Heights
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.
Exit 4
Toward IA 28: 63rd Street, Windsor Heights
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 Prairie City, IA to West Des Moines, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Windsor Heights along the way.
Windsor Heights
24.6 mi in
|
~34m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| IA 163 | 17 mi | 23m |
| John MacVicar Freeway | 5.5 mi | 7m |
| 63rd Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| East 2nd Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Vine Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South State Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East 5th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
IA 163
— 17 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Prairie City, IA and West Des Moines, IA.
1
Start on East 5th Street
344 ft
·
17 sec
·
East 5th Street
2
Turn right onto IA 117
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
South State Street
3
Turn right onto IA 117
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East 2nd Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
5
Merge onto IA 163
17 mi
·
23 min
·
IA 163
6
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I-235 west
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto I 235
5.5 mi
·
7 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 4
Toward IA 28: 63rd Street, Windsor Heights
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto IA 28
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
63rd Street
10
Turn right onto Vine Street
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Vine Street
11
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
Morning in West Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
7:39 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
39m 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 West Des Moines, IA covers 26.4 miles and takes about 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are IA 163, John MacVicar Freeway, 63rd Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.2 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 $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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 26.4 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (IA 117 / South State Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IA 117 / East 2nd Street): Navigation decision point; at 18.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Prairie City, IA to West Des Moines, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Windsor Heights along the way.
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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