Origin
Williamsburg, IA
Late night in Williamsburg on Friday
Local time
3:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Williamsburg, IA to Des Moines, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 26m
Distance
89.4 mi
144 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$14
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 20m
★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 40m
10 AM
1h 31m
12 PM
1h 30m
3 PM
1h 32m
5 PM
1h 39m
8 PM
1h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Williamsburg, IA
Phil Evenden
Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Williamsburg, IA to Des Moines, IA covers 89.4 miles and takes about 1h 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on West Welsh Street, South Highland Street, Highway 149 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.98 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 89.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 26m 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 1h 26m drive with frequent turns across 89.4 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.
West Welsh 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 Williamsburg, IA to Des Moines, IA is easy. At 1h 26m 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 Williamsburg, IA to Des Moines, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Welsh Street | — | — |
| South Highland Street | — | — |
| Highway 149 | — | — |
| I 235 West | — | — |
| John MacVicar Freeway | — | — |
| East 6th Street | — | — |
| East Village | — | — |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
West Welsh Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Williamsburg, IA and Des Moines, IA.
1
Start on Court Street
141 ft
·
11 sec
·
Court Street
2
Turn left onto West Welsh Street
400 ft
·
13 sec
·
West Welsh Street
3
Turn left onto South Highland Street
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
South Highland Street
4
Continue on State Highway 149
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
State Highway 149
5
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
6
Merge slight left
82 mi
·
1 hr 27 min
7
Take the exit slight left toward I 235 West: Des Moines
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 235 West: Des Moines
8
Continue on John MacVicar Freeway
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
9
Take the exit slight right toward East 6th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Village
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
East 6th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Village
10
Keep slight right to continue on East Village, East 6th Street, Penn Avenue
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Village, East 6th Street, Penn Avenue
11
Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
12
Turn left onto East University Avenue
98 ft
·
9 sec
·
East University Avenue
13
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 44.7 mi from Williamsburg, IA · 43m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
45 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 20 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 44.7 miles from Williamsburg, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Des Moines, IA
The final approach into Des Moines, IA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.98 one way
$27.95 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
31 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $15.35 | $30.69 |
| premium | $4.89 | $17.20 | $34.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $19.74 | $39.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 31.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 26.8 | 0 | $9.39 | $4.29 |
| Efficient EV | 22.4 | 0 | $7.82 | $3.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 35.8 | 0 | $12.52 | $5.72 |
Gas CO2
31 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (68% 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
Des Moines, IA
Late night in Des Moines on Friday
Local time
3:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
72°F
Newton, IA
45 mi in
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
20 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
1h 26m 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 Williamsburg, IA to Des Moines, IA covers 89.4 miles and takes about 1h 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West Welsh Street, South Highland Street, Highway 149. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 44.7 miles from Williamsburg, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.98 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 Williamsburg, IA to Des Moines, IA is easy. At 1h 26m 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 Williamsburg, IA to Des Moines, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Williamsburg, IA to Des Moines, 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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