Origin
Carlisle, IA
Late night in Carlisle on Sunday
Local time
1:02 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carlisle, IA to Ankeny, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
23 mi
37 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carlisle, IA
Quang Nguyen Vinh
Ankeny, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 23-mile drive from Carlisle, IA to Ankeny, IA will take you approximately 31 minutes, making it an ideal day trip. You'll primarily be on the Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway and I-35, with a portion on IA-5. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $4, this route offers a convenient and budget-friendly option for travel within Iowa. The Midwest region provides a familiar backdrop for this short journey. You won't need to worry about overnight stays; this trip is perfectly suited for a single day.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| I 35 | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| IA 5 | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| East 1st Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| I 80 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| North 5th Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Southwest Walnut Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Southwest 3rd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
— 10.3 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carlisle, IA and Ankeny, IA.
1
Start on North 5th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
North 5th Street
2
Turn right onto IA 5
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
IA 5
3
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
4
Merge onto US 65
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
5
Take the exit
1.2 mi
·
1 min
Exit 84
Toward I 80 West: Council Bluffs
6
Merge onto I 80
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
I 80
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 137B
Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
this road
Exit 137B
Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
9
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
this road
Exit 137B
Toward I-35 North: Minneapolis
10
Merge onto I 35
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
I 35
Toward I 35 North: Minneapolis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward 1st Street
12
Keep slight left at fork
256 ft
·
8 sec
Toward High Trestle Trail
Use the left lane.
13
Turn straight onto East 1st Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
East 1st Street
14
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Southwest Walnut Street
15
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft
·
2 sec
·
Southwest 3rd Street
16
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 12.8 and 23 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
12.8 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward I 80 West: Council Bluffs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 84
Toward I 80 West: Council Bluffs
7
14.9 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 137B
Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
6
16.3 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
I 35
Merge onto I 35 toward I 35 North: Minneapolis
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 35 North: Minneapolis
8
21.3 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Keep slight left at fork toward High Trestle Trail
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward High Trestle Trail
5
23 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
Southwest 3rd Street
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.60 one way
$7.19 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.95 | $7.90 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.43 | $8.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.08 | $10.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.01 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Ankeny, IA
Late night in Ankeny on Sunday
Local time
1:02 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°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
4 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
31m 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?
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with about 31% of your journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.3 miles on the Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway. This road offers a blend of faster highway segments and potentially more local road conditions as you transition. It's not a monotonous interstate cruise, but rather a varied drive that keeps you engaged without being overly demanding. You'll experience different road personalities as you progress from Carlisle to Ankeny.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.3 mi on Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 23 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 12.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 14.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.3 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 23 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.3 miles on Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Ankeny, IA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: at 12.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 14.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.3 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ankeny, 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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