Origin
Des Moines, IA
Late night in Des Moines on Sunday
Local time
2:30 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Des Moines, IA to Levey, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
8.5 mi
14 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Levey, IA
Quang Nguyen Vinh
Trip Overview
Des Moines, IA to Levey, IA is 8.5 miles and takes about 18 minutes via Evergreen Avenue and Southeast 6th Street, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Iowa, making it a convenient local drive. Given its brief duration and minimal highway share, this route is ideal for a quick errand or connecting two nearby points without much fuss. You'll find it's a straightforward local road experience, perfect for when time is a factor and you just need to get from A to B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Evergreen Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Southeast 6th Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| East Watrous Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| East 6th Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Indianola Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Southeast Brooks Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Southeast 45th Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Southeast 34th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Evergreen Avenue
— 2.3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Des Moines, IA and Levey, IA.
1
Start on East University Avenue
481 ft
·
39 sec
·
East University Avenue
2
Turn uturn onto East University Avenue
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
East University Avenue
3
Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
4
Continue on East 6th Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East 6th Street
5
Continue on Southeast 6th Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Southeast 6th Street
6
Turn left onto Indianola Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Indianola Avenue
7
Turn left onto Evergreen Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Evergreen Avenue
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on East Watrous Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Watrous Avenue
9
Turn straight onto Evergreen Avenue
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Evergreen Avenue
10
Continue on Evergreen Drive
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Evergreen Drive
11
Turn left onto Southeast 34th Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Southeast 34th Street
12
Continue on East Watrous Avenue
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
East Watrous Avenue
13
Continue on Southeast Brooks Drive
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Southeast Brooks Drive
14
Continue on Evergreen Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Evergreen Avenue
15
Turn left onto Southeast 45th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Southeast 45th Street
16
Continue on East Watrous Avenue
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
East Watrous Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
East Watrous Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 6.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East University Avenue
Turn uturn onto East University Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Pennsylvania Avenue
Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Indianola Avenue
Turn left onto Indianola Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
3.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
Evergreen Avenue
Turn left onto Evergreen Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
6.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Southeast 34th Street
Turn left onto Southeast 34th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.33 one way
$2.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.46 | $2.92 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.64 | $3.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.88 | $3.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.89 | $0.41 |
| Efficient EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.74 | $0.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.19 | $0.54 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Levey, IA
Late night in Levey on Sunday
Local time
2:30 AM
CDT
Current temp
53°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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
18m 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?
This route is characterized by frequent turns, making it a very local and engaging drive. With a 0% highway share, you'll be navigating primarily surface streets like Evergreen Avenue, Southeast 6th Street, and East Watrous Avenue for the entire 8.5 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.3 miles on Evergreen Avenue. Expect a driving experience that requires attention to traffic signals and changing road conditions, rather than long, open stretches of highway.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.3 mi on Evergreen Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 around 0.1 miles in near East University Avenue.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East University Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.2 miles (Pennsylvania Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (Indianola Avenue): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Des Moines, IA
Full guide →Des Moines, capital of Iowa, is in the western region of the American Midwest. Des Moines is the largest city in Iowa and the annual site of the Iowa State Fair and numerous cultural festivals during warm weather months. History enthusiasts will find 110 historic sites in and around the city as part of the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area. The city appeals to travelers with an interest in the arts who marvel at the architecture of the State Capitol with its five domes, including the large main dome with its gleaming 23-karat gold surface. The city has a good art museum, a symphony that performs in the downtown Civic Center (along with opera, ballet, and other performing arts), and a big annual arts festival that draws visitors from across Iowa and beyond.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 8.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.3 miles on Evergreen Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.1 miles (East University Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.2 miles (Pennsylvania Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles (Indianola Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Levey, 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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