Origin
West Des Moines, IA
Late night in West Des Moines on Friday
Local time
4:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
43m
Distance
41.2 mi
66 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA covers 41.2 miles and takes about 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 4th Street, Grand Avenue, 56th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.44 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 41.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m 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 43m drive with frequent turns across 41.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
4th 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 West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA is easy. At 43m 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 West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 4th Street | — | — |
| Grand Avenue | — | — |
| 56th Street | — | — |
| I-235 east | — | — |
| John MacVicar Freeway | — | — |
| USDA Veterinary Labs | — | — |
| East 13th Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
4th Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
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
·
33 sec
·
Vine Street
2
Turn left onto 4th Street
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
4th Street
3
Turn right onto Grand Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Avenue
4
Turn left onto 56th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
56th Street
5
Take the ramp right toward I-235 east
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
I-235 east
6
Merge slight left onto John MacVicar Freeway
10 mi
·
13 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
7
Continue straight
25 mi
·
27 min
8
Take the exit slight right toward USDA Veterinary Labs
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
USDA Veterinary Labs
9
Turn left onto East 13th Street
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
East 13th Street
10
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.44 one way
$12.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.07 | $14.14 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.93 | $15.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.10 | $18.19 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.4 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 | 12.4 | 0 | $4.33 | $1.98 |
| Efficient EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.61 | $1.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.77 | $2.64 |
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.
Destination
Ames, IA
Late night in Ames on Friday
Local time
4:14 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
43m 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 West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA covers 41.2 miles and takes about 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 4th Street, Grand Avenue, 56th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.6 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 $6.44 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 West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA is easy. At 43m 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 West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from West Des Moines, IA to Ames, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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