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Trip from West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

51m

Distance

40.6 mi

65 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Polk, Dallas, Warren, and Madison counties, Iowa, United States

West Des Moines, IA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Story County, Iowa, United States

Ames, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA covers 40.6 miles and takes about 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 35, John MacVicar Freeway, East 13th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.1 miles on I 35. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.35 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 40.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

51m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 51m highway drive covering 40.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 35 and John MacVicar Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 25.1 miles on I 35.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 35 is the longest continuous segment at about 25.1 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and John MacVicar Freeway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Grand Avenue.

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 51m 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: at 0.6 miles (Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (56th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles: 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.

6
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | Grand Avenue

Turn right onto Grand Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
1.3 mi into trip | ~2m in | 56th Street

Turn left onto 56th Street

Navigation decision point

4
1.9 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the ramp toward I-235 east

Navigation decision point

Toward I-235 east
5
2.2 mi into trip | ~4m 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 straight / slight right lanes.
4
37.6 mi into trip | ~45m in

Take the exit toward USDA Veterinary Labs

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward USDA Veterinary Labs

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 West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Usda Veterinary Labs along the way.

Usda Veterinary Labs

37.6 mi in | ~45m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 35 25.1 mi 27m
John MacVicar Freeway 10.3 mi 13m
East 13th Street 2.7 mi 5m
Grand Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
56th Street 0.6 mi 1m
4th Street 0.4 mi <1m
Vine Street 0.2 mi <1m
13th Street — —

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: I 35 — 25.1 mi, about 27m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between West Des Moines, IA and Ames, IA.

1

Start on Vine Street

0.2 mi · 32 sec · Vine Street
2

Turn left onto 4th Street

0.4 mi · 55 sec · 4th Street
3

Turn right onto Grand Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
4

Turn left onto 56th Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · 56th Street
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward I-235 east
6

Merge onto I 235

10 mi · 13 min · John MacVicar Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on I 35

25 mi · 27 min · I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 44 sec
Toward USDA Veterinary Labs
9

Turn left onto East 13th Street

2.7 mi · 5 min · East 13th Street
10

Arrive at destination

I 35 Business

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 20.3 mi from West Des Moines, IA · 26m into the drive

city in Polk County, Iowa, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ankeny, IA

20 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Gilbert, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 40.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ankeny, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.3 miles from West Des Moines, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Ames, IA

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Ames, IA if you are unfamiliar with the area.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.35 one way

$12.69 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.97 $13.94
premium $4.89 $7.81 $15.63
diesel $5.61 $8.96 $17.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.2 0 $4.26 $1.95
Efficient EV 10.2 0 $3.55 $1.62
EV Truck/SUV 16.2 0 $5.68 $2.60

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 17, 2026

Origin

West Des Moines, IA

Afternoon in West Des Moines on Friday

Local time

3:35 PM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Mostly Cloudy

SSE 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 9:20PM CDT until April 24 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 9:20PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

Ames, IA

Afternoon in Ames on Friday

Local time

3:35 PM

CDT

Current temp

60°F

Mostly Cloudy

SSE 12 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 9:20PM CDT until April 24 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 9:20PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

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

2 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

51m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA covers 40.6 miles and takes about 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 35, John MacVicar Freeway, East 13th 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 20.3 miles from West Des Moines, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.35 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 51m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (56th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles: Navigation decision point.

On the drive from West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Usda Veterinary Labs 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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