Origin
West Des Moines, IA
Late night in West Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
5:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Des Moines, IA to Dallas Center, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
20.2 mi
33 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m
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
Dallas Center, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from West Des Moines, IA to Dallas Center, IA covers 20.2 miles and takes about 31m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Hickman Road, R Avenue, John MacVicar Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.6 miles on Hickman Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.16 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 20.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 31m drive with frequent turns across 20.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 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 9.6 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 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in.
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 20.2 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 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 9 key pointsThese 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...
7
4.5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 80
Merge onto I 80 toward I-35 north, I-80 east: Chicago, Minneapolis
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I-35 north, I-80 east: Chicago, Minneapo...
6
5.6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward US 6
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 6
5
20.2 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Walnut Street
Turn sharp right onto Walnut Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between West Des Moines, IA and Dallas Center, IA, road signs point toward Chicago and Minneapolis.
Chicago
4 mi in
|
~6m
|
via Ramp 72 E
Minneapolis
4.5 mi in
|
~7m
|
via I 80
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hickman Road | 9.6 mi | 14m |
| R Avenue | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| John MacVicar Freeway | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| I 80 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| 8th Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| 13th Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Ramp 72 E | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| 73rd Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Hickman Road
— 9.6 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Des Moines, IA and Dallas Center, IA.
1
Start on Vine Street
468 ft
·
14 sec
·
Vine Street
2
Turn right onto 8th Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
8th Street
3
Continue on 73rd Street
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
73rd Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I-235 west
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 235
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
6
Take the exit onto Ramp 72 E
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
Ramp 72 E
Exit 123B
Toward I 35 North, I 80 East: Minneapolis, Chicago
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto I 80
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 80
Toward I-35 north, I-80 east: Chicago, Minneapolis
Use the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward US 6
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn left onto US 6
9.6 mi
·
14 min
·
Hickman Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
10
Turn right onto CR R16
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
R Avenue
11
Continue on CR R16
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
13th Street
12
Turn sharp right onto Walnut Street
32 ft
·
1 sec
·
Walnut Street
13
Arrive at destination
Walnut Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.16 one way
$6.32 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.47 | $6.93 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.89 | $7.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.46 | $8.92 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 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 | 6.1 | 0 | $2.12 | $0.97 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.77 | $0.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.29 |
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
Dallas Center, IA
Late night in Dallas Center on Saturday
Local time
5:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
1 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
31m 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 Dallas Center, IA covers 20.2 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Hickman Road, R Avenue, John MacVicar Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.1 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 $3.16 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 20.2 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 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.
Between West Des Moines, IA and Dallas Center, IA, road signs point toward Chicago and Minneapolis.
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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