Origin
Nevada, IA
Late night in Nevada on Tuesday
Local time
4:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Nevada, IA to West Des Moines, IA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
43.8 mi
70 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Nevada, IA
Stephan Müller
West Des Moines, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Nevada, IA to West Des Moines, IA is 43.8 miles and takes about 54 minutes via I 35, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused drive within the Midwest, specifically connecting two points within Iowa. With a recommended one-day trip, this route is ideal for a quick commute or an easy transfer between locations. The primary roads are well-maintained, making it a predictable journey for anyone looking to cover this distance efficiently. You'll spend most of your time on major highways.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 24.2 mi | 26m |
| John MacVicar Freeway | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Lincoln Highway | 6.2 mi | 7m |
| 63rd Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| 6th Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Vine Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South 6th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 24.2 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Nevada, IA and West Des Moines, IA.
1
Start on E41
30 ft
·
4 sec
·
Lincoln Highway
2
Turn right onto 6th Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
6th Street
3
Continue on South 6th Street
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
·
South 6th Street
4
Turn right onto US 30
6.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Lincoln Highway
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
6
Merge onto I 35
24 mi
·
26 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 235 West: Des Moines
8
Continue on John MacVicar Freeway
9.4 mi
·
12 min
·
John MacVicar Freeway
Toward I 235 West: Des Moines
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 4
Toward IA 28: 63rd Street, Windsor Heights
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto IA 28
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
63rd Street
11
Turn right onto Vine Street
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Vine Street
12
Arrive at destination
Vine Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.9 miles from Nevada, 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 42 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
6th Street
Turn right onto 6th Street
Navigation decision point
4
7.3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I 35 South: Des Moines
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
5
7.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 35
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
31.7 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 235 West: Des Moines
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 235 West: Des Moines
8
42 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Take the exit toward IA 28: 63rd Street, Windsor Heights
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 4
Toward IA 28: 63rd Street, Windsor Heights
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.85 one way
$13.70 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.52 | $15.04 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.43 | $16.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.67 | $19.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.60 | $2.10 |
| Efficient EV | 11 | 0 | $3.83 | $1.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.5 | 0 | $6.13 | $2.80 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
West Des Moines, IA
Late night in West Des Moines on Tuesday
Local time
4:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°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
18 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
54m 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 drive is largely highway-focused, with 77% of the journey taking place on major roads like I 35 and John MacVicar Freeway. Expect a relatively quick pace for most of the 43.8 miles, especially during the longest stretch of 24.2 miles on I 35. While the route is predominantly on high-speed roads, you will transition onto Lincoln Highway as you near your destination. This highway-centric profile means you'll experience consistent driving conditions without many sharp turns or significant changes in terrain, making it a predictable commute.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.2 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and John MacVicar Freeway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 6th Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 54m 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: near the start (6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 7.6 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Nevada, IA
Full guide →Nevada is an arid state of the US, lying between California and Utah. Most of the state is within the Great Basin, but parts of the northeast drain into the Snake River and the southern portion is within the Mohave Desert and the Colorado river drainage. While many outsiders pronounce the state's name as "ne-VAH-duh", the correct local pronunciation is [nəˈvædə], with a short "a" as in apple. Although the majority of tourists only visit Las Vegas, Reno and Tahoe to gamble, watch shows, and indulge themselves in food and drink, Nevada offers the more discerning traveler western frontier experiences verging on horse opera cliché, and landscapes utterly different from Europe, East Asia or more populated parts of North America.
Arriving in West Des Moines, IA
Full guide →West Des Moines is a small city in Central Iowa, the largest suburb of Des Moines.
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 54m. Total distance: 43.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.2 miles on I 35. 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: near the start (6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 7.6 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at West Des Moines, 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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