Spanning 207.6 miles across the Iowa landscape, this trip from Le Mars to Ankeny typically requires about 3 hours and 19 minutes of travel time. Because of the manageable distance, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. You should budget approximately $32 for fuel to complete the journey. Navigating through the heart of the Midwest, the route utilizes local roads like 5th Avenue Northeast, Lincoln Street Northeast, and Highway 3 rather than major interstates. It is a straightforward trek that connects two Iowa communities, offering a practical way to traverse the state without the stress of heavy highway traffic.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
103.5 miles from Le Mars, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 10m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
220th Street
93.4 mi
1h 47m
I 35
49.1 mi
53m
Highway 20
19 mi
22m
United States Highway 20
8.3 mi
10m
Oyens Avenue
7 mi
9m
Lee Avenue
5.4 mi
7m
County Road K64
5 mi
6m
State Highway 3
4.7 mi
6m
Longest stretch:
220th Street
— 93.4 mi, about 1h 47m
Traffic on I-35
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~965 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,423
Quietest
2 AM
~93 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Le Mars, IA and Ankeny, IA.
1
Start on 1st Street Northeast
0.3 mi·1 min·1st Street Northeast
2
Turn left onto IA 3
0.1 mi·16 sec·5th Avenue Northeast
3
Continue on IA 3
0.7 mi·1 min·Lincoln Street Northeast
4
Continue on IA 3
4.7 mi·6 min·State Highway 3
5
Turn right onto County Road K64
5.0 mi·6 min·County Road K64
6
Continue on Oyens Avenue
7.0 mi·9 min·Oyens Avenue
7
Turn left onto CR C60
2.0 mi·2 min·C 60
8
Turn right onto County Road C66
2.4 mi·3 min·County Road C66
9
Continue on 310th Street
1.4 mi·1 min·310th Street
10
Turn straight onto County Highway C66
0.8 mi·1 min·County Highway C66
11
Continue on Main Street
0.2 mi·52 sec·Main Street
12
Turn left onto East 3rd Street
0.5 mi·1 min·East 3rd Street
13
Continue on C66
2.0 mi·2 min·320th Street
14
Turn right onto Shamrock Avenue
2.0 mi·2 min·Shamrock Avenue
15
Continue on L21
5.4 mi·7 min·Lee Avenue
16
Turn left onto US 20
19 mi·22 min·Highway 20
Use the straight lane.
17
Continue on US 20
8.3 mi·10 min·United States Highway 20
18
Continue on US 20
93 mi·1 hr 47 min·220th Street
19
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
20
Merge onto I 35
49 mi·53 min·I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Take the exit
0.3 mi·34 sec
Exit 92Toward 1st Street
22
Keep slight right at fork
301 ft·9 sec
23
Turn straight onto East 1st Street
1.4 mi·3 min·East 1st Street
24
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi·40 sec·Southwest Walnut Street
25
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft·2 sec·Southwest 3rd Street
26
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Trip Plan
Given the turn-heavy nature of this 3-hour and 19-minute drive, plan to depart early in the day to ensure you have plenty of daylight for navigating the local roads. Since you only have one planned stop along the way, keep an eye on your fuel gauge early in the trip to ensure you stay within your $32 budget. Because the route relies entirely on local streets and Highway 3, be prepared for varying speed limits and intersections that don't exist on standard interstates. A key tip for this specific journey is to double-check your GPS navigation before leaving Le Mars, as the reliance on 5th Avenue Northeast and Lincoln Street Northeast requires precise turns that are easy to miss. Flexibility is your biggest advantage here, allowing you to pace the drive comfortably without the pressure of a rigid highway schedule.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 103.5 miles from Le Mars, IA, or about 2h 10m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 93.4 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 46 miles or 1h 3m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 103.5 miles or 2h 10m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ankeny, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Le Mars, 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 Le Mars, IA
This is one driving day of about 207.1 miles and 4h 9m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 46 miles from Le Mars, 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 220th Street for about 93.4 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 34.7 and 207.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
34.7 mi into trip|~49m in|US 20 / Highway 20
Turn left onto US 20 / Highway 20
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
156 mi into trip|~3h 11m in|I 35
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
205.2 mi into trip|~4h 5m in
Take the exit toward 1st Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 92
Toward 1st Street
5
205.5 mi into trip|~4h 5m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
207.1 mi into trip|~4h 9m in|Southwest 3rd Street
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$30.58 one way
$61.17 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg73 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$33.76
$67.53
premium
$4.72
$38.45
$76.90
diesel
$4.80
$39.10
$78.21
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$31
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$56–$81
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 72.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
62.1
0
$21.75
$9.94
Efficient EV
51.8
0
$18.12
$8.28
EV Truck/SUV
82.8
1
$28.99
$13.25
Gas CO2
72 kg
EV CO2
24 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.
Forecast as of Jul 19, 2026
Origin
Le Mars, IA
Late night
in Le Mars on Sunday
Local time
4:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Mostly Clear
E 5 to 10 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:22PM CDT until July 20 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Destination
Ankeny, IA
Late night
in Ankeny on Sunday
Local time
4:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Mostly Clear
NE 3 to 7 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:22PM CDT until July 20 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
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
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
4h 9m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route contains no highway-share segments. You will be maneuvering through local roads, requiring your full attention as the path shifts frequently between 5th Avenue Northeast, Lincoln Street Northeast, and Highway 3. This drive lacks long, uninterrupted highway stretches, so prepare for a more involved experience behind the wheel. The character of the road remains consistent in its local, winding nature, making it feel more like a series of connected neighborhood and state routes than a high-speed transit corridor. Keep your focus sharp, as the technical demands of these roads require constant engagement throughout the 207.6-mile journey.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 93.4 mi on 220th Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 34.7 miles in near US 20 / Highway 20.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 9m drive. You will face about 13 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 34.7 miles (US 20 / Highway 20): Lane positioning matters here; at 156 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 205.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The longest stretch is about 93.4 miles on 220th Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 9 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: at 34.7 miles (US 20 / Highway 20): Lane positioning matters here; at 156 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 205.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Possible but tiring. At 4.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.3 hours — manageable with a long break at Ankeny, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
