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Trip from Indiana, IA to Ankeny, IA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 14m

Distance

58.4 mi

94 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 9m ★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Indiana, IA, IA

Indiana, IA

Kelly

city in Polk County, Iowa, United States

Ankeny, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 58.4-mile drive from Indiana, IA, to Ankeny, IA, is a straightforward journey perfect for a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 14 minutes. Primarily following State Highway 5, also known as the Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway, about 70% of this route is on highways, offering a smooth and efficient passage through the Midwest. With an estimated fuel cost of $9, this is an economical option for those looking to travel between these two Iowa locations. You'll find this drive to be a practical and uncomplicated way to get where you're going, with no overnight stays required.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
State Highway 5 18.2 mi 20m
IA 5 17 mi 21m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway 10.3 mi 11m
I 35 4.7 mi 5m
County Highway G76 2 mi 3m
East 1st Street 1.5 mi 3m
I 80 0.9 mi 1m
Southwest Walnut Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: State Highway 5 — 18.2 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Indiana, IA and Ankeny, IA.

1

Start on CR G76

1.9 mi · 3 min · County Highway G76
2

Continue on CR G76

0.2 mi · 26 sec · County Highway G76
3

Turn sharp left onto IA 5

6.1 mi · 9 min · IA 5
4

Take the ramp onto IA 5

11 mi · 12 min · IA 5
5

Turn right

0.1 mi · 7 sec
6

Continue on IA 5

18 mi · 20 min · State Highway 5
7

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
8

Merge onto US 65

10 mi · 11 min · Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
9

Take the exit

1.2 mi · 1 min
Exit 84 Toward I 80 West: Council Bluffs
10

Merge onto I 80

0.9 mi · 1 min · I 80
11

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 137B Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Continue on this road

0.3 mi · 42 sec · this road
Exit 137B Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
13

Continue on this road

0.5 mi · 52 sec · this road
Exit 137B Toward I-35 North: Minneapolis
14

Merge onto I 35

4.7 mi · 5 min · I 35
Toward I 35 North: Minneapolis Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward 1st Street
16

Keep slight left at fork

256 ft · 8 sec
Toward High Trestle Trail Use the left lane.
17

Turn straight onto East 1st Street

1.5 mi · 3 min · East 1st Street
18

Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street

0.2 mi · 40 sec · Southwest Walnut Street
19

Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street

48 ft · 2 sec · Southwest 3rd Street
20

Arrive at destination

Southwest 3rd Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Pleasant Hill, IA, IA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Pleasant Hill, IA

29 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Knoxville, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Pleasant Hill, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.2 miles from Indiana, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 56.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
2 mi into trip | ~3m in | IA 5

Turn sharp left onto IA 5

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

5
48.2 mi into trip | ~59m 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
50.3 mi into trip | ~1h 1m 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
51.6 mi into trip | ~1h 4m 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
56.6 mi into trip | ~1h 10m 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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.13 one way

$18.26 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $10.02 $20.05
premium $4.89 $11.24 $22.48
diesel $5.61 $12.89 $25.79

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.5 0 $6.13 $2.80
Efficient EV 14.6 0 $5.11 $2.34
EV Truck/SUV 23.4 0 $8.18 $3.74

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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 19, 2026

Origin

Indiana, IA

Morning in Indiana on Tuesday

Local time

7:10 AM

CDT

Current temp

58°F

Sunny

NW 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 2:39PM CDT until April 20 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 19 at 11:39AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

Ankeny, IA

Morning in Ankeny on Tuesday

Local time

7:10 AM

CDT

Current temp

60°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

60°F

Pleasant Hill, IA

29 mi in

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

2 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

1h 14m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 58.4-mile trip, with 70% of the drive utilizing main roads like State Highway 5. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 18.2 miles on this highway, providing a consistent pace. This route emphasizes efficiency over varied scenery, meaning you'll likely experience a more direct and less complex drive. It's a profile that prioritizes getting you from point A to point B smoothly, with minimal distractions from busy local traffic or frequent road changes.

70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.2 mi on State Highway 5.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Highway 5 and IA 5. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2 miles in near IA 5.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.4 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles (IA 5): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 48.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 50.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Arriving in Ankeny, IA

Full guide →

Ankeny is a suburb of Des Moines in Central Iowa.

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 1h 14m. Total distance: 58.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 18.2 miles on State Highway 5. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 4 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.

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 2 miles (IA 5): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 48.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 50.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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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