Traveling from Ankeny to Lake Park covers 211.2 miles of Iowa landscape, a journey that typically takes about 4 hours and 25 minutes. Because this is a turn-heavy local drive rather than a straight shot on the interstate, it functions best as a dedicated day trip. You should budget approximately $32 for fuel to complete the trek. Since both cities are located within the Midwest, you will remain in a familiar regional environment for the entirety of the journey. Planning for one stop along the way is a smart strategy to break up the drive and keep your energy levels consistent.
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
105.6 miles from Ankeny, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 1m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 20
81.3 mi
1h 33m
I 35
49.6 mi
53m
US 71
45.6 mi
1h 3m
Highway Boulevard
12.8 mi
17m
State Highway 86
7.7 mi
10m
150th Street
7.2 mi
9m
West 1st Street
1.5 mi
3m
135th Avenue
1 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
US 20
— 81.3 mi, about 1h 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ankeny, IA and Lake Park, 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
1.5 mi·3 min·West 1st Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·41 sec
5
Merge onto I 35
50 mi·53 min·I 35
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·56 sec
Toward US 20 West: Fort Dodge
7
Merge onto US 20
81 mi·1 hr 33 min·US 20
8
Take the exit onto US 71
0.4 mi·57 sec·US 71
Toward IA 471 South, US 71 NORTH: Early, Storm Lake
9
Turn right onto US 71
45 mi·1 hr 2 min·US 71
Use the straight lane.
10
Turn right onto US 71
0.5 mi·1 min·11th Street Southwest
11
Turn left onto 4th Avenue Southwest
0.5 mi·53 sec·4th Avenue Southwest
12
At end of road, turn right onto 4th Street Southwest
0.3 mi·41 sec·4th Street Southwest
13
Turn left onto US 18; US 71
0.4 mi·1 min·South Grand Avenue
14
Turn left onto West 2nd Street
389 ft·9 sec·West 2nd Street
15
Turn right onto 1st Avenue West
0.4 mi·47 sec·1st Avenue West
16
At end of road, turn right onto West 8th Street
384 ft·14 sec·West 8th Street
17
Turn left onto US 18; US 71
0.6 mi·1 min·Grand Avenue
18
Continue on US 18; US 71
13 mi·17 min·Highway Boulevard
19
Turn left onto IA 86
7.7 mi·10 min·State Highway 86
20
Turn left onto IA 9
7.2 mi·9 min·150th Street
21
Turn right onto M27
1.0 mi·2 min·135th Avenue
22
Continue on South Market Street
0.8 mi·1 min·South Market Street
23
Arrive at destination
North Market Street
Trip Plan
To make the most of your 4-hour and 25-minute transit, aim to leave early in the morning to avoid the fatigue that can set in on more technical, turn-heavy roads. Since you have only one planned stop, use that break strategically to stretch your legs and refresh your focus before tackling the remainder of the 211.2-mile distance. Keep your navigation tools handy, as the reliance on local roads means you will need to watch for frequent turns rather than following a single highway sign. Given the $32 fuel estimate, it is wise to top off your tank before departing Ankeny to ensure you have plenty of range for the local segments of the trip.
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 105.6 miles from Ankeny, IA, or about 2h 1m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 81.3 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 46 miles or 52m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 105.6 miles or 2h 1m 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 28m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lake Park, 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 211.2 miles and 4h 25m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 46 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 US 20 for about 81.3 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 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 133.6 — 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
51.6 mi into trip|~58m in
Take the exit toward US 20 West: Fort Dodge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 20 West: Fort Dodge
5
133.2 mi into trip|~2h 33m in|US 71
Take the exit onto US 71 toward IA 471 South, US 71 NORTH: Early, Storm Lake
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IA 471 South, US 71 NORTH: Early, Storm...
5
133.6 mi into trip|~2h 34m in|US 71
Turn right onto US 71
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$33.02 one way
$66.04 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg74 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$36.25
$72.51
premium
$4.89
$40.64
$81.29
diesel
$5.61
$46.63
$93.26
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$33
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$58–$83
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 73.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
63.4
0
$22.18
$10.14
Efficient EV
52.8
0
$18.48
$8.45
EV Truck/SUV
84.5
1
$29.57
$13.52
Gas CO2
74 kg
EV CO2
25 kg (66% 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
3:10 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Lake Park, IA
Late night
in Lake Park on Tuesday
Local time
3:10 AM
CDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
22 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 25m 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?
Expect a departure from high-speed interstate travel, as this route relies on local roads like Southwest Walnut Street and West 1st Street rather than major freeways. You will spend time navigating US 20 West, but the overall trip is defined by a turn-heavy local profile that demands your full attention. Because the highway share is 0%, you won't be cruising on long, monotonous stretches of asphalt; instead, the character of the road shifts frequently as you move through various local connectors. The driving experience here is more hands-on and varied than a typical cross-country highway haul.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 81.3 mi on US 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 20 and I 35. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Southwest Walnut Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 25m drive. You will face about 16 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 51.6 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.
On the drive from Ankeny, IA to Lake Park, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Storm Lake along the way.
The longest stretch is about 81.3 miles on US 20. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 8 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 51.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Possible but tiring. At 4.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.9 hours — manageable with a long break at Lake Park, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
