Origin
Ames, IA
Late night in Ames on Sunday
Local time
12:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ames, IA to Boone, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
17.1 mi
28 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Boone, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 17.1-mile drive from Ames, IA to Boone, IA takes about 25 minutes and is best tackled as a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate local roads like Grand Avenue and South Grand Avenue, with no significant highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $3, making it very budget-friendly for a quick excursion within the Midwest region. Given its brief duration and local road profile, this route offers a straightforward and easy-to-manage drive, perfect for a spontaneous outing or a quick connection between these two Iowa towns.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 30 | 8.3 mi | 9m |
| Mamie Eisenhower Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| 210th Street | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| T Avenue | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| University Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Grand Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South 4th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Grand Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 30
— 8.3 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ames, IA and Boone, IA.
1
Start on I 35 Business
117 ft
·
11 sec
·
13th Street
2
Turn left onto I 35 Business; US 69
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Avenue
3
Continue on South Grand Avenue
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
South Grand Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto South 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South 4th Street
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto University Boulevard
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
University Boulevard
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward US 30 west: Boone
7
Merge onto US 30
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
US 30
8
Turn slight right onto T Avenue
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
T Avenue
9
Turn left onto CR E41
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
210th Street
10
Continue on Mamie Eisenhower Avenue
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Mamie Eisenhower Avenue
11
Arrive at destination
Mamie Eisenhower Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 12.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue
Turn left onto I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
South 4th Street
Turn right onto South 4th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward US 30 west: Boone
Navigation decision point
Toward US 30 west: Boone
3
3.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 30
Merge onto US 30
Merge point - match speed before joining
3
12.7 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CR E41 / 210th Street
Turn left onto CR E41 / 210th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.67 one way
$5.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.94 | $5.87 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.29 | $6.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.78 | $7.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.80 | $0.82 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.50 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Destination
Boone, IA
Late night in Boone on Sunday
Local time
12:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°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
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
25m 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 this 17.1-mile trip between Ames and Boone. With a 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets for the entire journey, navigating through familiar neighborhoods and town centers. The route is characterized by frequent turns, so staying attentive to your navigation is key. There's no single 'longest stretch' to speak of, as the entire drive is broken up by intersections and local traffic patterns. This kind of drive is all about moving through the local landscape rather than covering long distances at high speeds.
48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.3 mi on US 30.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue.
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 25m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (South 4th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
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 25m. Total distance: 17.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.3 miles on US 30. 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: near the start (I 35 Business; US 69 / Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (South 4th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Boone, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Boone, IA
More trips to Boone, IA
Explore more options from Ames, IA or browse trips ending in Boone, IA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IA road trips.