The drive from West Des Moines, IA to Hartley, IA covers 196.5 miles and takes about 4h 21m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 20, US 71, Northwest Granger Drive for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 49.4 miles on US 20.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $30.72 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
98.3 miles from West Des Moines, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 10m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 21m. Total distance: 196.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from West Des Moines, IA to Hartley, IA covers 196.5 miles and takes about 4h 21m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 35 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 20 is the longest continuous segment at about 49.4 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,471 ft825 ft
Total Climb
802 ft
Total Descent
157 ft
Highest Point
1,471 ft
~196.5 mi in
Elevation Range
646 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 25 significant decision points across 196.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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 25 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...
The midpoint is around 98.3 miles from West Des Moines, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Hartley, IA
The final approach into Hartley, IA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Hartley, IA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$30.72 one way
$61.44 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg69 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$33.73
$67.46
premium
$4.89
$37.81
$75.63
diesel
$5.61
$43.38
$86.77
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$31
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$56–$81
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 68.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
9 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Storm Lake, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Grimes, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Fort Dodge, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Early, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Grimes, Iowa
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Grimes, Iowa
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
AmpUp Charging Station
Polk City, Iowa
Other
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Polk City, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge: 5
ChargePoint: 2
Other: 2
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
58.9
0
$20.63
$9.43
Efficient EV
49.1
0
$17.19
$7.86
EV Truck/SUV
78.6
0
$27.51
$12.58
Gas CO2
69 kg
EV CO2
23 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 13, 2026
Origin
West Des Moines, IA
Morning
in West Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
6:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Mostly Cloudy
S 13 to 18 mph12% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 13 at 11:22AM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 13 at 11:22AM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Destination
Hartley, IA
Morning
in Hartley on Saturday
Local time
6:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSE 15 mph37% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 13 at 11:22AM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 13 at 11:22AM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
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
3 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
4h 21m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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 Hartley, IA covers 196.5 miles and takes about 4h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 20, US 71, Northwest Granger Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 98.3 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 $30.72 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 25 significant decision points across 196.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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 Hartley, IA, road signs point toward Adel and Storm Lake.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
