Origin
Ames, IA
Afternoon in Ames on Friday
Local time
3:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ames, IA to Pleasant Hill, IA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
36.9 mi
59 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Pleasant Hill, IA
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Ames to Pleasant Hill is 36.9 miles and takes about 50 minutes via I 35, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Iowa, moving you from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. Given the minimal distance and duration, it's a straightforward drive that won't consume your entire day. Plan this as a single-day excursion for convenience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 25.7 mi | 28m |
| 13th Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| John MacVicar Freeway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Dean Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| East University Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Delaware Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East 30th Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Fairview Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 25.7 mi, about 28m
Traffic on I-235
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,949 veh/hr typical · worst 4,598
Quietest
2 AM
~186 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
21.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 64 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ames, IA and Pleasant Hill, IA.
1
Start on I 35 Business
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
13th Street
2
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
3
Merge onto I 35
26 mi
·
28 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 235 West: Des Moines
5
Continue on John MacVicar Freeway
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
Toward I 235 West: Des Moines
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 11
Toward Guthrie Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto Guthrie Avenue
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Guthrie Avenue
8
Turn left onto Delaware Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Delaware Avenue
9
Continue on East 21st Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
East 21st Street
10
Turn left onto IA 163
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
East University Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Turn right onto East 30th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
East 30th Street
12
Turn left onto Dean Avenue
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Dean Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on Fairview Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Fairview Drive
14
Turn right onto North Pleasant Hill Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Pleasant Hill Boulevard
15
Turn left onto Doanes Park Road
62 ft
·
4 sec
·
Doanes Park Road
16
Arrive at destination
Doanes Park Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.5 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 2.4 and 34.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
2.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 35 South: Des Moines
Navigation decision point
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
5
2.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 35
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
28.4 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 235 West: Des Moines
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 235 West: Des Moines
7
31.2 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward Guthrie Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 11
Toward Guthrie Avenue
5
34.5 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
Dean Avenue
Turn left onto Dean Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.72 one way
$11.44 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $6.27 | $12.55 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.16 | $14.32 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $8.13 | $16.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.87 | $1.77 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.8 | 0 | $5.17 | $2.36 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Pleasant Hill, IA
Afternoon in Pleasant Hill on Friday
Local time
3:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
64°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
50m 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?
About 75% of this route is highway, meaning you'll spend most of your time on I 35. The longest continuous stretch on the highway is 25.7 miles. Expect the transition from highway cruising to surface streets around the 25-mile mark as you approach your destination. You'll notice a significant number of exits as you navigate closer to Pleasant Hill.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.7 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and 13th Street. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 36.9 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
999 ft
798 ft
Total Climb
301 ft
Total Descent
381 ft
Highest Point
999 ft
~13.2 mi in
Elevation Range
201 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Ames, IA
Full guide →Founded 1864
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.
Top landmarks
- • Catt Hall — building on Iowa State University's campus, U.S.
- • Food Sciences Building — historic building on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, United S...
- • Ames City Hall — United States historic place
Arriving in Pleasant Hill, IA
Full guide →Founded 1956
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 50m. Total distance: 36.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.7 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 Pleasant Hill, 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: at 2.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pleasant Hill, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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