Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
8.6 mi
14 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ankeny, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Johnston, IA
RDNE Stock project
The drive from Ankeny, IA to Johnston, IA covers 8.6 miles and takes about 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Northwest 26th Street, Southwest State Street, Southwest Oralabor Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 1.5 miles on Northwest 26th Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.33 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest 26th Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Southwest State Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Southwest Oralabor Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Northwest 66th Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Northwest 62nd Avenue | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Southwest Ordnance Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Northwest Beaver Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Southwest Walnut Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Ankeny, IA and Johnston, IA.
Start on Southwest 3rd Street
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
At end of road, turn right onto Southwest Ordnance Road
Turn left onto Southwest State Street
Turn right onto IA 415
Continue on IA 415
Turn left onto Northwest 26th Street
Turn right onto Northwest 66th Avenue
Turn left onto Northwest Beaver Drive
Turn right onto Northwest 62nd Avenue
Turn right onto Merle Hay Road
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn right onto Southwest Ordnance Road
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Northwest 26th Street
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto Northwest 66th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Northwest Beaver Drive
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$1.33 one way
$2.67 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $1.46 | $2.92 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.67 | $3.34 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $1.90 | $3.79 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.90 | $0.41 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.75 | $0.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.20 | $0.55 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Ankeny on Friday
Local time
2:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Patchy Fog then Sunny
Destination
Late night in Johnston on Friday
Local time
2:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
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.
8.6 mi in 17m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
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.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 8 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 0.4 miles (Southwest Ordnance Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles (Northwest 26th Street): Navigation decision point.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
59 ft
Total Descent
221 ft
Highest Point
995 ft
~0.6 mi in
Elevation Range
184 ft
Founded 1969
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 8.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m 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.
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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