Origin
West Des Moines, IA
Late night in West Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
3:29 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Des Moines, IA to Ankeny, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
18.6 mi
30 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
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
Ankeny, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from West Des Moines, IA to Ankeny, IA covers 18.6 miles and takes about 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on John MacVicar Freeway, I 35, East 1st Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.3 miles on John MacVicar Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.91 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 18.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 27m highway drive covering 18.6 miles, with most of the trip on John MacVicar Freeway and I 35. The longest continuous stretch is about 10.3 miles on John MacVicar Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
John MacVicar Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 10.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on John MacVicar Freeway and I 35. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Grand Avenue.
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 18.6 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.6 miles (Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (56th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (I 235 / John MacVicar Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese 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
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.
8
16.9 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Keep slight left at fork toward High Trestle Trail
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward High Trestle Trail
5
18.6 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
Southwest 3rd Street
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John MacVicar Freeway | 10.3 mi | 13m |
| I 35 | 4 mi | 4m |
| East 1st Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Grand Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 56th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| 4th Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Vine Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Southwest Walnut Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John MacVicar Freeway
— 10.3 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Des Moines, IA and Ankeny, 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
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward 1st Street
9
Keep slight left at fork
256 ft
·
8 sec
Toward High Trestle Trail
Use the left lane.
10
Turn straight onto East 1st Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
East 1st Street
11
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Southwest Walnut Street
12
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft
·
2 sec
·
Southwest 3rd Street
13
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.91 one way
$5.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.19 | $6.39 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.58 | $7.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.11 | $8.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.63 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Ankeny, IA
Late night in Ankeny on Saturday
Local time
3:29 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
27m 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 Ankeny, IA covers 18.6 miles and takes about 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are John MacVicar Freeway, I 35, East 1st 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 9.3 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 $2.91 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 18.6 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.6 miles (Grand Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (56th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (I 235 / John MacVicar Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from West Des Moines, IA to Ankeny, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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