Kalona, IA to Ames, IA is 141.6 miles and takes about 2h 50m via I 80 and I 35, with a fuel budget near $22 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Iowa, traversing the Midwest's familiar rolling terrain. Given the relatively short distance and primary highway travel, this route is straightforward and efficient. It's a practical choice for a quick connection between these two points, suitable for a single-day excursion.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
70.8 miles from Kalona, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 29m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 80
91 mi
1h 37m
I 35
25.7 mi
28m
Black Hawk Avenue Southwest
5.9 mi
10m
Highway 1 Southwest
4 mi
5m
Black Diamond Road Southwest
3.3 mi
5m
Orval Yoder Turnpike Southwest
2.8 mi
5m
East 13th Street
2.7 mi
5m
500th Street Southwest
1.8 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 91 mi, about 1h 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kalona, IA and Ames, IA.
1
Start on B Avenue
36 ft·3 sec·B Avenue
2
Turn right onto 5th Street
0.2 mi·49 sec·5th Street
3
Turn left onto IA 22
0.4 mi·35 sec·East Avenue
4
Turn right onto IA 1
0.7 mi·1 min·1st Street
5
Continue on IA 1
1.1 mi·1 min·State Highway 1
6
Continue on IA 1
4.0 mi·5 min·Highway 1 Southwest
7
Turn left onto CR F62
1.8 mi·3 min·500th Street Southwest
8
Turn right onto Orval Yoder Turnpike Southwest
2.8 mi·5 min·Orval Yoder Turnpike Southwest
9
At end of road, turn left onto CR F52
3.3 mi·5 min·Black Diamond Road Southwest
10
Turn right onto CR W38
2.8 mi·4 min·Black Hawk Avenue Southwest
11
Keep slight left at fork onto CR W38
3.1 mi·5 min·Black Hawk Avenue Southwest
12
Continue on CR W38
507 ft·17 sec·Black Hawk Avenue Northwest
13
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·47 sec
14
Merge onto I 80
91 mi·1 hr 37 min·I 80
15
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 137BToward I-35 north: MinneapolisUse the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Continue on this road
0.3 mi·42 sec·this road
Exit 137BToward I-35 north: Minneapolis
17
Continue on this road
0.5 mi·52 sec·this road
Exit 137BToward I-35 North: Minneapolis
18
Merge onto I 35
26 mi·28 min·I 35
Toward I 35 North: MinneapolisUse the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.3 mi·44 sec
Toward USDA Veterinary Labs
20
Turn left onto East 13th Street
2.7 mi·5 min·East 13th Street
21
Arrive at destination
I 35 Business
Trip Plan
For this 2h 50m drive, leaving mid-morning allows you to avoid early rush and still arrive with plenty of daylight. The total fuel cost is estimated at $22, so be sure to fill up before you depart or at a major exit along I 80. With only one recommended stop and a longest stretch of 91 miles, you can easily complete this trip in a single day. Consider departing Kalona after a good breakfast to maximize your flexibility on the road.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 70.8 miles from Kalona, IA, or about 1h 29m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 91 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 31 miles or 46m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 70.8 miles or 1h 29m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 19m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ames, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Kalona, 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 Kalona, IA
This is one driving day of about 141.6 miles and 2h 50m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 31 miles from Kalona, 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 I 80 for about 91 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 112.9 — 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|5th Street
Turn right onto 5th Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|IA 22 / East Avenue
Turn left onto IA 22 / East Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
8.1 mi into trip|~12m in|Orval Yoder Turnpike Southwest
Turn right onto Orval Yoder Turnpike Southwest
Navigation decision point
7
111.5 mi into trip|~2h 12m 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
112.9 mi into trip|~2h 15m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$22.14 one way
$44.28 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg50 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$24.31
$48.61
premium
$4.89
$27.25
$54.50
diesel
$5.61
$31.26
$62.53
Estimated Tolls: $0.20
Orval Yoder Turnpike Southwest
(2.8 mi)$0.20
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$22
Tolls
$0
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$47–$72
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 49.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
42.5
0
$14.87
$6.80
Efficient EV
35.4
0
$12.39
$5.66
EV Truck/SUV
56.6
0
$19.82
$9.06
Gas CO2
50 kg
EV CO2
17 kg (66% 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 16, 2026
Origin
Kalona, IA
Morning
in Kalona on Sunday
Local time
9:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Ames, IA
Morning
in Ames on Sunday
Local time
9:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
50°F
Brooklyn, IA
71 mi in
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
19 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
2h 50m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend most of your time on highways, with 88% of the route being interstate. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 91 miles, primarily on I 80. Expect a significant amount of highway cruising before transitioning to Black Hawk Avenue Southwest for the final segment. The sheer amount of highway means you'll encounter frequent exits and merges typical of interstate travel.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 91 mi on I 80.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and I 35. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 5th Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 50m drive. You will face about 12 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 (5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (IA 22 / East Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.1 miles (Orval Yoder Turnpike Southwest): Navigation decision point.
Ames is a pleasant college town in Central Iowa, sitting astride the Skunk River roughly 30 miles north of Des Moines. Life in Ames follows the ebb and flow of the academic year at Iowa State University, which is the city's primary draw.
The longest stretch is about 91 miles on I 80. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.20 in tolls one way, starting with Orval Yoder Turnpike Southwest. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes — we found about 18 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 (5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (IA 22 / East Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.1 miles (Orval Yoder Turnpike Southwest): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ames, IA before heading back.
