Origin
Ames, IA
Afternoon in Ames on Sunday
Local time
4:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ames, IA to Story 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
18m
Distance
11.9 mi
19 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Story City, IA
Kelly
Trip Overview
Ames to Story City is 11.9 miles and takes about 18m via Grand Avenue, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive keeps you within the Midwest, specifically traveling within Iowa. Given its brief length and local road nature, it's perfect for a quick excursion or a segment of a larger trip. You won't encounter any major highways, making it a straightforward, turn-heavy local experience. Plan for this to be a simple, single-day trip with minimal time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Avenue | 10.6 mi | 15m |
| 115th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Broad Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 13th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Grand Avenue
— 10.6 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ames, IA and Story City, IA.
1
Start on I 35 Business
117 ft
·
6 sec
·
13th Street
2
Turn right onto US 69
11 mi
·
15 min
·
Grand Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR E15
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
115th Street
4
Continue on CR E15
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
West Broad Street
5
Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue
51 ft
·
2 sec
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
6
Arrive at destination
Pennsylvania Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 11.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 69 / Grand Avenue
Turn right onto US 69 / Grand Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
10.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
CR E15 / 115th Street
Turn right onto CR E15 / 115th Street
Navigation decision point
3
11.9 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Pennsylvania Avenue
Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.86 one way
$3.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.04 | $4.09 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.29 | $4.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.63 | $5.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Story City, IA
Afternoon in Story City on Sunday
Local time
4:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
49°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
21 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
18m 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?
This route is characterized by its turn-heavy local drive profile, with 0% highway share. The journey primarily follows Grand Avenue, 115th Street, and West Broad Street. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 10.6 miles on Grand Avenue, offering a consistent feel for a significant portion of the drive. Expect a more intimate driving experience, navigating through local roads rather than high-speed highways. The personality of the drive is one of steady, local navigation.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
6 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.6 mi on Grand Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 69 / Grand Avenue.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Ames, IA to Story City, IA is easy. At 18m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 69 / Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 10.6 miles (CR E15 / 115th Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.9 miles (Pennsylvania Avenue): 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 18m. Total distance: 11.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.6 miles on Grand Avenue. 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 (US 69 / Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 10.6 miles (CR E15 / 115th Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.9 miles (Pennsylvania Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Story 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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