If you are looking to cross Iowa, the 200.5-mile journey from Ankeny to Bellevue is a straightforward trek that fits perfectly into a single day of travel. Expect to spend about 4 hours and 6 minutes behind the wheel, making it an ideal choice if you want to reach your destination without the fatigue of a multi-day haul. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $30, this trip remains an affordable way to explore the Midwest. Because the route relies heavily on local roads, you should prepare for a more hands-on driving experience rather than a passive highway cruise. Whether you are traveling for business or a quick change of scenery, the manageable duration allows you to depart in the morning and arrive in Bellevue with plenty of time to settle in before evening.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
100.3 miles from Ankeny, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 2m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Lincoln Highway
37 mi
42m
200th Avenue
32.4 mi
37m
Northeast Hubbell Road
28 mi
32m
73rd Street
26.8 mi
30m
Marion Airport Road
24.1 mi
27m
Great River Road
16.7 mi
22m
IA 100
9.4 mi
11m
Northeast 94th Avenue
8.5 mi
13m
Longest stretch:
Lincoln Highway
— 37 mi, about 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ankeny, IA and Bellevue, IA.
1
Start on Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft·4 sec·Southwest 3rd Street
2
Turn right onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi·37 sec·Southwest Walnut Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto West 1st Street
1.8 mi·4 min·West 1st Street
4
Continue on Northeast 94th Avenue
8.5 mi·13 min·Northeast 94th Avenue
5
Turn left onto US 65; IA 330
28 mi·32 min·Northeast Hubbell Road
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
7
Merge onto US 30
37 mi·42 min·Lincoln Highway
8
Continue on US 30
27 mi·30 min·73rd Street
9
Take the exit
1.0 mi·1 min
Toward IA 100 East: Cedar Rapids, Marion
10
Continue on IA 100
9.4 mi·11 min·IA 100
11
Keep slight right at fork onto IA 100
5.9 mi·7 min·Collins Road Northeast
12
Turn left onto US 151; IA 13
1.1 mi·1 min·US 151; IA 13
13
Turn right onto US 151
24 mi·27 min·Marion Airport Road
14
Continue on US 151
32 mi·37 min·200th Avenue
15
Keep slight left at fork onto US 151
3.5 mi·4 min·US 151
16
Turn right onto US 52
0.7 mi·1 min·Bellevue Road
17
Continue on US 52
9.1 mi·12 min·Great River Road
18
Continue on US 52
0.5 mi·54 sec·Main Street
19
Continue on US 52
7.6 mi·10 min·Great River Road
20
Continue on US 52
2.5 mi·4 min·North Riverview Street
21
Arrive at destination
US 52
Trip Plan
Since this is a one-day trip, your best bet is to leave early in the morning to account for the frequent turns and local traffic patterns. You will only need to factor in one primary stop during your 4-hour and 6-minute drive, so plan your break strategically to coincide with the middle of your journey. Keep in mind that because the route is turn-heavy, your GPS will be your best friend; double-check your directions before leaving Ankeny to avoid missing critical junctions on the smaller roads. Budgeting $30 for fuel should be sufficient, but always keep an eye on your tank when navigating the more rural stretches. Take advantage of the trip's inherent flexibility, as the lack of long highway segments allows you to adjust your pace easily if you encounter unexpected road conditions or local traffic.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 100.3 miles from Ankeny, IA, or about 2h 2m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 37 miles.
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 44 miles or 57m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 100.3 miles or 2h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 18m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bellevue, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Ankeny, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Ankeny, IA
This is one driving day of about 200.5 miles and 4h 6m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 44 miles from Ankeny, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Lincoln Highway for about 37 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 113.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|Southwest Walnut Street
Turn right onto Southwest Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|West 1st Street
At end of road, turn right onto West 1st Street
Navigation decision point
4
38.4 mi into trip|~50m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
5
102.7 mi into trip|~2h 4m in
Take the exit toward IA 100 East: Cedar Rapids, Marion
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IA 100 East: Cedar Rapids, Marion
4
113.1 mi into trip|~2h 17m in|IA 100 / Collins Road Northeast
Keep slight right at fork onto IA 100 / Collins Road Northeast
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$31.35 one way
$62.69 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg70 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$34.42
$68.83
premium
$4.89
$38.58
$77.17
diesel
$5.61
$44.27
$88.54
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$31
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$56–$81
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 70.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
60.2
0
$21.05
$9.62
Efficient EV
50.1
0
$17.54
$8.02
EV Truck/SUV
80.2
1
$28.07
$12.83
Gas CO2
70 kg
EV CO2
23 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.
Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026
Origin
Ankeny, IA
Late night
in Ankeny on Tuesday
Local time
3:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Bellevue, IA
Late night
in Bellevue on Tuesday
Local time
3:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
61°F
Marion, IA
100 mi in
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
15 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
4h 6m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention compared to a standard interstate sprint. Only 7% of this route consists of major highways, meaning you will spend the vast majority of your time navigating smaller, winding paths like 200th Avenue and Northeast Hubbell Road. You will encounter a mix of pacing throughout the 200.5-mile trek, though you can expect a longest uninterrupted stretch of 37 miles while traveling along the Lincoln Highway. This is not a monotonous highway grind; instead, the road requires you to stay engaged as you transition between local thoroughfares. By prioritizing local roads over high-speed bypasses, the route offers a grounded perspective of the Iowa landscape that feels more intimate than a typical cross-country transit.
Only 7% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 37 mi on Lincoln Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Southwest Walnut Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 6m drive. You will face about 9 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 (Southwest Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 38.4 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.
On the drive from Ankeny, IA to Bellevue, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Marion along the way.
The longest stretch is about 37 miles on Lincoln Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 4 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.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Southwest Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (West 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 38.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Possible but tiring. At 4.1 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.2 hours — manageable with a long break at Bellevue, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
