Ottumwa to West Des Moines is 93.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 52 minutes via A Avenue West and US 63, with a fuel budget near $15 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Iowa, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. It's a relatively short trip that shouldn't feel rushed, offering a straightforward path between these two cities. You'll find it's a practical option for a quick journey across the state.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
46.8 miles from Ottumwa, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 55m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
A Avenue West
32.4 mi
36m
US 63
22.8 mi
26m
State Highway 5
19.2 mi
22m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
7.5 mi
8m
Old US Highway 63
4.8 mi
6m
IA 28
4.7 mi
7m
Vine Street
0.4 mi
1m
US 63 Business
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
A Avenue West
— 32.4 mi, about 36m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ottumwa, IA and West Des Moines, IA.
1
Start on West Fourth Street
0.2 mi·28 sec·West Fourth Street
2
Turn right onto US 63 Business; IA 149
395 ft·5 sec·North Wapello Street
3
Continue on US 63 Business; IA 149
4.8 mi·6 min·Old US Highway 63
4
Turn left onto US 63 Business
0.3 mi·42 sec·US 63 Business
5
Merge onto US 63; IA 163
23 mi·26 min·US 63; IA 163
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi·1 min
Toward IA 92: Oskaloosa, Knoxville
7
Turn left onto IA 92
32 mi·36 min·A Avenue West
8
Turn right
0.1 mi·7 sec
9
Continue on IA 5
19 mi·22 min·State Highway 5
10
Merge onto US 65; IA 5
7.5 mi·8 min·Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Exit 99Toward IA 28: Norwalk, MartensdaleUse the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto IA 28
4.7 mi·7 min·IA 28
13
Turn left onto Vine Street
0.4 mi·1 min·Vine Street
14
Arrive at destination
Vine Street
Trip Plan
Given the short duration of about 1 hour and 52 minutes, you have a lot of flexibility with this route. Consider departing mid-morning to avoid early rush hour or to allow for a relaxed start. With a fuel cost estimated around $15, you won't need to worry excessively about finding stations, but it's always wise to keep an eye on your gauge, especially during the 32.4-mile stretch on A Avenue West. There are no designated stops in the data, so plan for any necessary breaks in towns along US 63 or State Highway 5.
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 46.8 miles from Ottumwa, IA, or about 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 32.4 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 21 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 46.8 miles or 55m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 29m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near West Des Moines, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Ottumwa, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Ottumwa, IA
This is one driving day of about 93.6 miles and 1h 52m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Ottumwa, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on A Avenue West for about 32.4 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 87.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|US 63 Business; IA 149 / North Wapello Street
Turn right onto US 63 Business; IA 149 / North Wapello Street
Navigation decision point
3
5.1 mi into trip|~6m in|US 63 Business
Turn left onto US 63 Business
Navigation decision point
5
28.2 mi into trip|~33m in
Take the exit toward IA 92: Oskaloosa, Knoxville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IA 92: Oskaloosa, Knoxville
4
28.6 mi into trip|~34m in|IA 92 / A Avenue West
Turn left onto IA 92 / A Avenue West
Navigation decision point
8
87.9 mi into trip|~1h 42m in
Take the exit toward IA 28: Norwalk, Martensdale
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 99
Toward IA 28: Norwalk, Martensdale
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.63 one way
$29.27 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg33 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$16.07
$32.13
premium
$4.89
$18.01
$36.02
diesel
$5.61
$20.67
$41.33
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$15
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$40–$65
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 32.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
28.1
0
$9.83
$4.49
Efficient EV
23.4
0
$8.19
$3.74
EV Truck/SUV
37.4
0
$13.10
$5.99
Gas CO2
33 kg
EV CO2
11 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 Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Ottumwa, IA
Night
in Ottumwa on Saturday
Local time
11:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
West Des Moines, IA
Night
in West Des Moines on Saturday
Local time
11:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
35°F
Partly Cloudy
NW 14 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 18 at 2:33AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 17 at 10:38PM CDT until April 24 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
73°F
Knoxville, IA
47 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
35 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 52m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 55% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter about 32.4 miles as your longest uninterrupted stretch on A Avenue West. Expect the road to transition between different types of surfaces and speeds as you navigate from local roads onto US 63 and State Highway 5. It's not a continuous interstate experience, so be prepared for some variation in the driving conditions and the pace of traffic.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 32.4 mi on A Avenue West.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 0.2 miles in near US 63 Business; IA 149 / North Wapello 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 1h 52m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 63 Business; IA 149 / North Wapello Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (US 63 Business): Navigation decision point; at 28.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Ottumwa, IA and West Des Moines, IA, road signs point toward Knoxville and Martensdale.
The longest stretch is about 32.4 miles on A Avenue West. 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 0.2 miles (US 63 Business; IA 149 / North Wapello Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.1 miles (US 63 Business): Navigation decision point; at 28.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at West Des Moines, IA before heading back.
