Ankeny to Orange City is 216.2 miles and takes about 4h 21m via US 20, I 35, and State Highway 140, with a fuel budget near $34 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Midwest, entirely within Iowa, making it a straightforward trip. With a high percentage of highway driving, expect a consistent pace for most of the 4-hour journey. The recommended single-day drive means you can easily complete this route without needing an overnight stay, fitting it into a busy schedule.
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
108.1 miles from Ankeny, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 4m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 20
121.1 mi
2h 21m
I 35
49.6 mi
53m
State Highway 140
15.1 mi
20m
County Road L14
7 mi
9m
Lee Avenue
5.4 mi
7m
Kiwi Avenue
5 mi
6m
450th Street
2.7 mi
4m
320th Street
2 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
US 20
— 121.1 mi, about 2h 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ankeny, IA and Orange City, 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
121 mi·2 hr 21 min·US 20
8
Turn right onto L21
5.4 mi·7 min·Lee Avenue
9
Continue on Shamrock Avenue
2.0 mi·2 min·Shamrock Avenue
10
Turn left onto C66
2.0 mi·2 min·320th Street
11
Turn right onto IA 140
15 mi·20 min·State Highway 140
12
Continue on L14
7.0 mi·9 min·County Road L14
13
Continue on L14
5.0 mi·6 min·Kiwi Avenue
14
At end of road, turn left onto IA 10
1.8 mi·2 min·460th Street
15
Continue on IA 10
0.3 mi·24 sec·State Highway 10
16
Continue on IA 10
0.8 mi·1 min·Kennedy Avenue
17
Turn left onto IA 10
2.0 mi·2 min·450th Street
18
Enter roundabout onto 450th Street
81 ft·4 sec·450th Street
19
Continue on 450th Street
0.7 mi·1 min·450th Street
20
Continue on IA 10
0.2 mi·37 sec·8th Street Southeast
21
Turn right onto Albany Avenue Southeast
0.7 mi·1 min·Albany Avenue Southeast
22
Turn left onto 2nd Street Northeast
430 ft·20 sec·2nd Street Northeast
23
Arrive at destination
2nd Street Northwest
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 21m duration, leaving Ankeny in the morning is ideal to maximize daylight. While this is a single-day trip, consider a brief stop midway, perhaps around the 2-hour mark, to stretch your legs. The longest uninterrupted stretch on US 20 is over 120 miles, so ensure you have enough fuel before embarking on that segment. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as services might be less frequent on certain parts of the state highways. This relatively short drive allows for flexibility if you encounter unexpected delays.
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 108.1 miles from Ankeny, IA, or about 2h 4m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 121.1 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 48 miles or 54m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 108.1 miles or 2h 4m 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 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Orange City, 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 216.2 miles and 4h 21m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 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 121.1 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 209.5 — 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
4
173.1 mi into trip|~3h 20m in|L21 / Lee Avenue
Turn right onto L21 / Lee Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
209.5 mi into trip|~4h 10m in|IA 10 / 460th Street
At end of road, turn left onto IA 10 / 460th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$31.93 one way
$63.86 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg76 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$35.25
$70.49
premium
$4.72
$40.14
$80.28
diesel
$4.80
$40.82
$81.65
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 75.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
64.9
0
$22.70
$10.38
Efficient EV
54.1
0
$18.92
$8.65
EV Truck/SUV
86.5
1
$30.27
$13.84
Gas CO2
76 kg
EV CO2
25 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Jul 14, 2026
Origin
Ankeny, IA
Late night
in Ankeny on Sunday
Local time
1:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
91°F
Sunny
E 3 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 12:54PM CDT until July 15 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 12:00PM CDT until July 14 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
Destination
Orange City, IA
Late night
in Orange City on Sunday
Local time
1:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
91°F
Sunny
SSW 5 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 12:54PM CDT until July 15 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 14 at 12:00PM CDT until July 14 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
4h 21m 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?
This route is predominantly highway, with 86% of the drive on interstates and major roads. You'll experience a long stretch of 121.1 miles on US 20, offering extended periods of cruising. The transition from highway to surface roads will occur as you approach your destination. Expect relatively consistent driving conditions with minimal complex merging or sharp turns given its mostly highway profile.
86% 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: 121.1 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 21m drive. You will face about 13 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.
The longest stretch is about 121.1 miles on US 20. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 9 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 8.7 hours — manageable with a long break at Orange City, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
