Perry, IA to Indiana, IA is 86.8 miles and takes about 1h 48m via IA 5 and Northwest Granger Drive, with a fuel budget near $14 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, single-day trip through the Midwest, staying within Iowa. The drive is mostly on well-maintained state highways, offering a practical way to connect these two points without extensive travel time. Given its manageable distance and duration, it's an ideal option for a quick journey or an easy addition to a larger Midwest itinerary.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
43.4 miles from Perry, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 54m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
IA 5
36 mi
44m
Northwest Granger Drive
16.5 mi
19m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
12.9 mi
14m
I 35
4.6 mi
5m
George P. Soumas Memorial Highway
3.6 mi
4m
I 80
3.3 mi
3m
Northwest 114th Street
2.6 mi
3m
County Highway G76
2 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
IA 5
— 36 mi, about 44m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Perry, IA and Indiana, IA.
1
Start on Willis Avenue
135 ft·10 sec·Willis Avenue
2
Turn sharp left onto McColl Street
452 ft·21 sec·McColl Street
3
Turn right onto IA 144
0.5 mi·1 min·1st Avenue
4
Turn left onto IA 141
3.6 mi·4 min·George P. Soumas Memorial Highway
5
Continue on IA 141
16 mi·19 min·Northwest Granger Drive
6
Continue on IA 141
2.6 mi·3 min·Northwest 114th Street
7
Continue on IA 141
1.0 mi·1 min·Northeast Grimes Boulevard
8
Continue on IA 141
0.6 mi·49 sec·Grimes Boulevard
9
Continue on IA 141
1.8 mi·2 min·Southeast Grimes Boulevard
10
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Toward I-35 south, I-80 west: Kansas City, Council BluffsUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 80; I 35
3.3 mi·3 min·I 80; I 35
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
4.6 mi·5 min·I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.8 mi·1 min
Exit 68Toward IA 5: Des Moines International Airport, West Des Moines, NorwalkUse the slight right lane.
14
Continue on IA 5
13 mi·14 min·Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit onto IA 5
19 mi·22 min·IA 5
Toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
16
Turn left onto IA 5; IA 92
11 mi·11 min·IA 5; IA 92
17
Take the exit onto IA 5
0.5 mi·1 min·IA 5
18
Turn right onto IA 5
5.8 mi·8 min·IA 5
19
Turn sharp right onto CR G76
0.2 mi·24 sec·County Highway G76
20
Continue on CR G76
1.9 mi·3 min·County Highway G76
21
Arrive at destination
CR G76
Trip Plan
Since this is a single-day, under-two-hour drive, you have a lot of flexibility with departure times. Leaving Perry, IA in the morning or early afternoon will comfortably get you to Indiana, IA well before evening. With a fuel cost estimated at $14, you won't need to worry extensively about budgeting for gas on this short hop. Keep an eye out for signs indicating transitions between IA 5 and other county roads, as these are the main points where the road character shifts. There are no specific long stretches without services noted, so plan for a quick, efficient journey.
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 43.4 miles from Perry, IA, or about 54m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 36 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 19 miles or 24m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 43.4 miles or 54m 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 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Indiana, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Perry, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Perry, IA
This is one driving day of about 86.8 miles and 1h 48m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Perry, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on IA 5 for about 36 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 and 35.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip|~0m in|McColl Street
Turn sharp left onto McColl Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
7
26.6 mi into trip|~34m in
Take the exit toward I-35 south, I-80 west: Kansas City, Council Bluffs
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.
Toward I-35 south, I-80 west: Kansas City, Coun...
5
27.2 mi into trip|~35m in|I 80; I 35
Merge onto I 80; I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
6
30.5 mi into trip|~39m in|I 35
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
35.1 mi into trip|~44m in
Take the exit toward IA 5: Des Moines International Airport, West Des Moines, Norwalk
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 68
Toward IA 5: Des Moines International Airport,...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.57 one way
$27.14 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg30 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$14.90
$29.80
premium
$4.89
$16.70
$33.41
diesel
$5.61
$19.16
$38.33
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$14
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$39–$64
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 30.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
26
0
$9.11
$4.17
Efficient EV
21.7
0
$7.59
$3.47
EV Truck/SUV
34.7
0
$12.15
$5.56
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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 20, 2026
Origin
Perry, IA
Late night
in Perry on Tuesday
Local time
5:40 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Indiana, IA
Late night
in Indiana on Tuesday
Local time
5:40 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
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 48m 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?
This trip features a mixed drive, with about 50% of the route utilizing highway conditions. You'll encounter stretches on IA 5, which forms a significant part of the journey, including the longest continuous segment of 36 miles. The drive transitions between these main roads and local routes, such as Northwest Granger Drive and Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway. Expect a blend of faster-paced highway driving and more localized road sections as you make your way across Iowa.
50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 36 mi on IA 5.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near McColl Street.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 86.8 miles you will encounter 10 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: near the start (McColl Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 26.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.2 miles (I 80; I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Perry, IA and Indiana, IA, road signs point toward Council Bluffs, Des Moines and Norwalk.
Council Bluffs
26.6 mi in|~34m
Des Moines
35.1 mi in|~44m
Norwalk
35.1 mi in|~44m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 48m. Total distance: 86.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 36 miles on IA 5. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Indiana, 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: near the start (McColl Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 26.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.2 miles (I 80; 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 Indiana, IA before heading back.
