The drive from West Des Moines, IA to Lake View, IA covers 112 miles and takes about 2h 35m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 220th Street, Northwest Granger Drive, County Road N33 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.5 miles on 220th Street.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.51 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.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
56 miles from West Des Moines, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 17m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 35m. Total distance: 112 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 2h 35m drive with frequent turns across 112 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 37 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
220th Street is the longest continuous segment at about 20.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 20 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in.
Driving Effort6/10
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 112 miles you will encounter 20 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 1.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles (Ramp 72 E): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.5 miles (I 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 20 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
1.4 mi into trip|~3m in
Take the ramp toward I-235 west
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I-235 west
8
4 mi into trip|~6m in|Ramp 72 E
Take the exit onto Ramp 72 E toward I 35 North, I 80 East: Minneapolis, Chicago
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 123B
Toward I 35 North, I 80 East: Minneapolis, Chic...
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.51 one way
$35.02 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg39 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$19.23
$38.45
premium
$4.89
$21.55
$43.11
diesel
$5.61
$24.73
$49.46
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 39.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
18 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Grimes, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Grimes, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Carroll, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Jefferson, Iowa
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
Red E Charging Station
Waukee, Iowa
Other
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Waukee, IA
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Waukee, Iowa
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Waukee, Iowa
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint: 10
Shell Recharge: 4
Other: 4
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
33.6
0
$11.76
$5.38
Efficient EV
28
0
$9.80
$4.48
EV Truck/SUV
44.8
0
$15.68
$7.17
Gas CO2
39 kg
EV CO2
13 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 18, 2026
Origin
West Des Moines, IA
Night
in West Des Moines on Friday
Local time
11:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
37°F
Mostly Cloudy
NNW 10 to 14 mph6% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:05PM CDT until April 21 at 7:48AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:05PM CDT until April 22 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Destination
Lake View, IA
Night
in Lake View on Friday
Local time
11:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°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
37 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 35m 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 Lake View, IA covers 112 miles and takes about 2h 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 220th Street, Northwest Granger Drive, County Road N33. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 56 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 $17.51 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 112 miles you will encounter 20 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 1.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles (Ramp 72 E): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.5 miles (I 80): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from West Des Moines, IA to Lake View, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Adel 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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
