Origin
Altoona, IA
Late night in Altoona on Tuesday
Local time
5:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Altoona, IA to Ankeny, IA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
13.4 mi
22 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Altoona, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Ankeny, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 14.7-mile journey from Altoona, IA, to Ankeny, IA, will only take about 19 minutes to complete, making it a perfect candidate for a quick day trip. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with a brief stint on I-80 West. With a fuel cost estimated at just $2, this drive is incredibly budget-friendly. Since it's such a brief trip, you won't need to worry about overnight stays or splitting the drive. Both your origin and destination are within the Midwest region, offering a familiar driving experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| 8th Street Southwest | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| East 1st Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| I 80 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Southwest Walnut Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Southwest 3rd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 1st Avenue South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 4.7 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Altoona, IA and Ankeny, IA.
1
Start on 1st Avenue South
48 ft
·
3 sec
·
1st Avenue South
2
Turn right onto US 6 Hist
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
8th Street Southwest
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
4
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
this road
5
Merge onto US 65
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
6
Take the exit
1.2 mi
·
1 min
Exit 84
Toward I 80 West: Council Bluffs
7
Merge onto I 80
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
I 80
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 137B
Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
this road
Exit 137B
Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
10
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
this road
Exit 137B
Toward I-35 North: Minneapolis
11
Merge onto I 35
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
I 35
Toward I 35 North: Minneapolis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward 1st Street
13
Keep slight left at fork
256 ft
·
8 sec
Toward High Trestle Trail
Use the left lane.
14
Turn straight onto East 1st Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
East 1st Street
15
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Southwest Walnut Street
16
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft
·
2 sec
·
Southwest 3rd Street
17
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 11.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 6 Hist / 8th Street Southwest
Turn right onto US 6 Hist / 8th Street Southwest
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
3.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 80 West: Council Bluffs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 84
Toward I 80 West: Council Bluffs
7
5.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 137B
Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
6
6.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 35
Merge onto I 35 toward I 35 North: Minneapolis
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35 North: Minneapolis
8
11.6 mi into trip
|
~17m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.09 one way
$4.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.30 | $4.60 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.58 | $5.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.96 | $5.92 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4 | 0 | $1.41 | $0.64 |
| Efficient EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.17 | $0.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.88 | $0.86 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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 Tuesday
Local time
5:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
21m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for most of this 14.7-mile route, as indicated by its profile. While you'll briefly touch I-80 West, the highway share is 0%, meaning you won't be settling into a long interstate cruise. The 'Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway' designation suggests a more community-focused road rather than a high-speed artery. Given the short distance and local road focus, you can anticipate frequent intersections and changes in speed limits as you make your way from Altoona to Ankeny.
42% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.7 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 early in the drive near US 6 Hist / 8th Street Southwest.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 13.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 6 Hist / 8th Street Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Ankeny, IA
Full guide →Ankeny is a suburb of Des Moines in Central Iowa.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 13.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (42%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.7 miles on I 35. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Ankeny, IA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 6 Hist / 8th Street Southwest): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ankeny, IA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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