Origin
Ames, IA
Afternoon in Ames on Sunday
Local time
4:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ames, IA to Prairie City, 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 4m
Distance
51 mi
82 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 59m
★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 14m
8 PM
1h 1m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Prairie City, IA
Charles Criscuolo
Trip Overview
Ames to Prairie City is 51 miles and takes about 1 hour 4 minutes via I 35 and East University Avenue, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, short trip entirely within Iowa's Midwest region. Given its brevity, it's ideal for a quick excursion or an addition to a longer journey. The drive is mostly on interstates and well-maintained highways, making it an easy and efficient option for most travelers seeking a simple point-to-point experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 25.9 mi | 28m |
| East University Avenue | 10 mi | 11m |
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| I 80 | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| 13th Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| Northeast University Avenue | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| State Highway 163 (Bus) | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West 2nd Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 25.9 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ames, IA and Prairie City, 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 right at fork onto I 35
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
·
I 35
Toward I 35 South, I 80: Kansas City, Council Bluffs, Davenport
5
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
2 min
Exit 137A
Toward I 80 East: Davenport
6
Merge onto I 80
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
I 80
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 141
Toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des Moines
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto US 65
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Exit 79
Toward IA 163: East University Avenue, Pleasant Hill
10
Turn left onto IA 163
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
East University Avenue
11
Continue on IA 163
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Northeast University Avenue
12
Continue on IA 163
6.6 mi
·
7 min
·
East University Avenue
13
Turn left onto West 116th Street South
277 ft
·
6 sec
·
West 116th Street South
14
Turn right onto State Highway 163 (Bus)
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
State Highway 163 (Bus)
15
Turn left onto IA 117
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West 2nd Street
16
Turn left onto IA 117
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
South State Street
17
Turn left onto East 5th Street
344 ft
·
15 sec
·
East 5th Street
18
Arrive at destination
East 5th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.5 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 36.5 — 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
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
28.4 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
I 35
Keep slight right at fork onto I 35 toward I 35 South, I 80: Kansas City, Council Bluffs, Davenport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 35 South, I 80: Kansas City, Council B...
5
28.6 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward I 80 East: Davenport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 137A
Toward I 80 East: Davenport
8
32 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des Moines
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 141
Toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des Moines
6
36.5 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward IA 163: East University Avenue, Pleasant Hill
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 79
Toward IA 163: East University Avenue, Pleasant...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.97 one way
$15.95 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.75 | $17.51 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.81 | $19.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.26 | $22.52 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.35 | $2.45 |
| Efficient EV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.46 | $2.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.14 | $3.26 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Prairie City, IA
Afternoon in Prairie City on Sunday
Local time
4:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
34°F
Mostly Clear
WSW 8 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 2:13AM CDT until April 20 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 2:10AM CDT until April 20 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
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
36 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 4m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 58% of the journey on highways like I 35 and the Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway. You'll encounter stretches of faster-paced interstate driving, followed by segments on more local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll cover is 25.9 miles on I 35. Expect the road character to shift slightly as you move from the interstate towards your destination, offering a varied, though not overly challenging, driving experience.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.9 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 around 2.7 miles in near I 35.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51 miles you will encounter 13 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 2.7 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.4 miles (I 35): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Ames, IA and Prairie City, IA, road signs point toward Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines and Pleasant Hill.
Council Bluffs
28.4 mi in
|
~34m
|
via I 35
Davenport
28.4 mi in
|
~34m
|
via I 35
Des Moines
32 mi in
|
~39m
Pleasant Hill
36.5 mi in
|
~45m
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 4m. Total distance: 51 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.9 miles on I 35. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Prairie City, 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 2.7 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.4 miles (I 35): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28.6 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 Prairie City, 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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