Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 46m
Distance
78.7 mi
127 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Reinbeck, IA
Wolfgang Weiser
The drive from Ames, IA to Reinbeck, IA covers 78.7 miles and takes about 1h 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 30, Sanford Avenue, Diagonal Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 28 miles on US 30. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.20 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
39.4 miles from Ames, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 50m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 30 | 28 mi | 32m |
| Sanford Avenue | 15.9 mi | 21m |
| Diagonal Road | 7.4 mi | 11m |
| 240th Street | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Marsh Avenue | 5.9 mi | 8m |
| 160th Street | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| 13th Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| IA 330 | 1.8 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Ames, IA and Reinbeck, IA.
Start on I 35 Business
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 35
Take the exit
Merge onto US 30
Take the exit
Turn left onto IA 330
Turn left onto IA 330
Continue on IA 330
Continue on IA 330
Turn left onto IA 14
Turn right onto IA 14; IA 175
Continue on IA 14; IA 175
Continue on IA 175
Continue on IA 175
Continue on IA 175
Continue on 260th Street
Continue on IA 175
Turn right onto Blackhawk Street
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 17 miles or 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 39.4 miles or 50m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 28m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Reinbeck, IA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Ames, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Ames, IA
This is one driving day of about 78.7 miles and 1h 46m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
39 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.
A short stop after about 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 39.4 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.4 and 78.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 35 South: Des Moines
Navigation decision point
Take the exit toward US 30 East: Nevada
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Take the exit toward IA 330: Albion, Melbourne
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto IA 14; IA 175 / 240th Street
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto Blackhawk Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$12.20 one way
$24.40 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $13.38 | $26.76 |
| premium | $4.93 | $15.27 | $30.54 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $17.35 | $34.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 27.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 23.6 | 0 | $8.26 | $3.78 |
| Efficient EV | 19.7 | 0 | $6.89 | $3.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 31.5 | 0 | $11.02 | $5.04 |
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Ames on Friday
Local time
3:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in Reinbeck on Friday
Local time
3:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Sunny
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
78.7 mi in 1h 46m — 40% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: US 30.
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 around 2.4 miles in.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 46m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 32.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
310 ft
Total Descent
296 ft
Highest Point
1,077 ft
~22.5 mi in
Elevation Range
193 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Ames, IA to Reinbeck, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Melbourne along the way.
Melbourne
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 46m. Total distance: 78.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). Straightforward navigation.
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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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