Origin
Ames, IA
Night in Ames on Saturday
Local time
11:21 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ames, IA to Belmond, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 22m
Distance
64 mi
103 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 16m
★
6 AM
1h 22m
8 AM
1h 35m
10 AM
1h 26m
12 PM
1h 25m
3 PM
1h 27m
5 PM
1h 34m
8 PM
1h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Belmond, IA
Uiliam Nörnberg
Trip Overview
This straightforward 64-mile drive from Ames to Belmond, Iowa, is easily manageable as a day trip, taking about 1 hour and 22 minutes. It's a highway-focused journey with a projected fuel cost of around $10, making it an economical option for a quick excursion within the Midwest. You'll primarily navigate on I 35 Business and US 69, experiencing a less than hour-and-a-half commitment. Given its short duration and minimal stops, this route is ideal for a spontaneous outing or a dedicated travel day without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 Business | 29 mi | 31m |
| Little Wall Lake Road | 19.5 mi | 26m |
| US 69 | 8 mi | 11m |
| US 20 | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| 13th Street | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| 220th Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 2nd Avenue Northeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35 Business
— 29 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ames, IA and Belmond, IA.
1
Start on I 35 Business
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
13th Street
2
Turn left onto I 35 Business
29 mi
·
31 min
·
I 35 Business
Toward I 35 North: Minneapolis
3
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
Toward US 20 West: Fort Dodge
4
Merge onto US 20
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
US 20
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward US 69
6
Turn right onto US 69
19 mi
·
26 min
·
Little Wall Lake Road
7
Turn right onto US 69; IA 3
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
220th Street
8
Turn straight onto US 69; IA 3
8.0 mi
·
11 min
·
US 69; IA 3
9
Turn right onto East Main Street
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
East Main Street
10
Turn left onto 2nd Avenue Northeast
61 ft
·
2 sec
·
2nd Avenue Northeast
11
Arrive at destination
2nd Avenue Northeast
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32 miles from Ames, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 64 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 35 Business
Turn left onto I 35 Business toward I 35 North: Minneapolis
Navigation decision point
Toward I 35 North: Minneapolis
4
31.6 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward US 20 West: Fort Dodge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 20 West: Fort Dodge
4
35.2 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward US 69
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 69
4
55.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 9m in
|
US 69; IA 3 / 220th Street
Turn right onto US 69; IA 3 / 220th Street
Navigation decision point
5
64 mi into trip
|
~1h 22m in
|
2nd Avenue Northeast
Turn left onto 2nd Avenue Northeast
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.01 one way
$20.01 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.99 | $21.97 |
| premium | $4.89 | $12.32 | $24.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.13 | $28.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.2 | 0 | $6.72 | $3.07 |
| Efficient EV | 16 | 0 | $5.60 | $2.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.6 | 0 | $8.96 | $4.10 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Belmond, IA
Night in Belmond on Saturday
Local time
11:21 PM
CDT
Current temp
47°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
23 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 22m 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 highway-focused drive for this 64-mile trip, with 63% of the journey on higher-speed roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 29 miles on I 35 Business, offering a good period of uninterrupted travel. While the route utilizes major roads like US 69, it's not a constant interstate grind. You'll experience a blend that keeps the drive moving efficiently, transitioning between different highway types as you head north.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29 mi on I 35 Business.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 Business and Little Wall Lake Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 miles in near I 35 Business.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 22m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles (I 35 Business): Navigation decision point; at 31.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 35.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Starting in Ames, IA
Full guide →Ames is a pleasant college town in Central Iowa, sitting astride the Skunk River roughly 30 miles north of Des Moines. Life in Ames follows the ebb and flow of the academic year at Iowa State University, which is the city's primary draw.
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 1h 22m. Total distance: 64 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 29 miles on I 35 Business. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: at 2.7 miles (I 35 Business): Navigation decision point; at 31.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 35.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Belmond, 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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