Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
25.7 mi
41 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carlisle, IA
Quang Nguyen Vinh
West Saint Marys, IA
Vladimir Srajber
Carlisle, IA to West Saint Marys, IA is 25.7 miles and takes about 41 minutes via State Highway 28 and Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Iowa, offering a straightforward drive. It's a practical option if you're looking for a quick journey between these two points without much fuss. You'll primarily be on state and county roads, making it a more local experience than a major highway trek.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Highway 28 | 7.8 mi | 11m |
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| County Road R45 | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| IA 5 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| County Road G14 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| North Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| County Road R63 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Southwest 9th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Carlisle, IA and West Saint Marys, IA.
Start on North 5th Street
Turn right onto IA 5
Merge onto US 65; IA 5
Take the exit
Turn left onto CR R63
Continue on CR R63
Turn right onto County Road G14
Continue on CR G14
Turn left onto IA 28
Continue on IA 28
At end of road, turn left onto IA 92
Turn right onto CR R45
Continue on CR R45
Turn right onto Iowa Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 25.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto IA 5
Navigation decision point
Take the exit toward CR R63: Southwest 9th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Turn left onto CR R63 / Southwest 9th Street
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn left onto IA 92
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto Iowa Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$4.27 one way
$8.55 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $4.65 | $9.31 |
| premium | $5.18 | $5.24 | $10.49 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $5.41 | $10.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.64 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Afternoon in Carlisle on Wednesday
Local time
3:56 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Afternoon in West Saint Marys on Wednesday
Local time
3:56 PM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Partly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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.
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 43% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches on State Highway 28 and the Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway, interspersed with County Road R45. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is 7.8 miles on State Highway 28. Expect a varied road feel, transitioning between more open highway driving and potentially more localized county road segments as you progress toward West Saint Marys.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near IA 5.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 41m 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: at 0.3 miles (IA 5): Navigation decision point; at 7.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 7.9 miles (CR R63 / Southwest 9th Street): Navigation decision point.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
522 ft
Total Descent
334 ft
Highest Point
1,036 ft
~25.7 mi in
Elevation Range
246 ft
Founded 1851
Carlisle is a small town outside of Des Moines in the state of Iowa. It has a nice swimming pool, a couple of parks and a good choice of shops.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 25.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (43%). Straightforward navigation.
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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