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Trip from Urbandale, IA to Waukee, IA

Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology

Drive Time

18m

Distance

10 mi

16 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 17m ★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m ★

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Polk and Dallas counties, Iowa, United States

Urbandale, IA

Wikimedia Commons

human settlement in Dallas County, Iowa, United States of America

Waukee, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Urbandale, IA to Waukee, IA covers 10 miles and takes about 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Hickman Road, 72nd Street, Roseland Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.7 miles on Hickman Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.56 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 10 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

18m 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 18m drive with frequent turns across 10 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Hickman Road is the longest continuous segment at about 8.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 70th 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 18m drive. You will face about 6 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 (70th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Roseland Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (72nd Street): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 6 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 | 70th Street

Turn left onto 70th Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Roseland Drive

Turn right onto Roseland Drive

Navigation decision point

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | 72nd Street

Turn left onto 72nd Street

Navigation decision point

6
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in | US 6 / Hickman Road

Turn right onto US 6 / Hickman Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
9.7 mi into trip | ~17m in | CR R22 / 6th Street

Turn left onto CR R22 / 6th Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Hickman Road 8.7 mi 14m
72nd Street 0.6 mi 1m
Roseland Drive 0.2 mi 1m
6th Street 0.2 mi <1m
73rd Street 0.2 mi <1m
70th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Ashworth Drive <0.1 mi <1m
Maryland Drive <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Hickman Road — 8.7 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Urbandale, IA and Waukee, IA.

1

Start on Maryland Drive

13 ft · 5 sec · Maryland Drive
2

Turn left onto 70th Street

348 ft · 9 sec · 70th Street
3

Turn right onto Roseland Drive

0.2 mi · 1 min · Roseland Drive
4

Turn left onto 72nd Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · 72nd Street
5

Turn straight onto 73rd Street

0.2 mi · 25 sec · 73rd Street
6

Turn right onto US 6

8.7 mi · 14 min · Hickman Road
Use the left lane.
7

Turn left onto CR R22

0.2 mi · 34 sec · 6th Street
8

Turn left onto Ashworth Drive

139 ft · 4 sec · Ashworth Drive
9

Arrive at destination

Ashworth Drive

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.56 one way

$3.13 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $1.72 $3.43
premium $4.89 $1.92 $3.85
diesel $5.61 $2.21 $4.42

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3 0 $1.05 $0.48
Efficient EV 2.5 0 $0.88 $0.40
EV Truck/SUV 4 0 $1.40 $0.64

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Urbandale, IA

Late night in Urbandale on Friday

Local time

12:21 AM

CDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Waukee, IA

Late night in Waukee on Friday

Local time

12:21 AM

CDT

Current temp

70°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

18 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

18m 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 Urbandale, IA to Waukee, IA covers 10 miles and takes about 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Hickman Road, 72nd Street, Roseland Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5 miles from Urbandale, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.56 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 18m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (70th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Roseland Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (72nd Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Urbandale, IA to Waukee, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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