Sanborn to Ankeny is 206.3 miles and takes about 4h 14m via 220th Street and I 35, with a fuel budget near $36 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Iowa, traveling through the heart of the Midwest. It's primarily a surface road drive with a significant stretch on the interstate, making it a straightforward trip for a single day. Plan for a mostly rural experience with a bit of highway cruising as you get closer to your destination.
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
103.2 miles from Sanborn, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 15m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
220th Street
92.4 mi
1h 46m
I 35
49.1 mi
53m
Silver Avenue
13.2 mi
18m
20th Avenue
9.2 mi
12m
Railroad Street
6.6 mi
9m
Armstrong Avenue
6 mi
8m
470th Street
4.1 mi
5m
Tanager Avenue
4 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
220th Street
— 92.4 mi, about 1h 46m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sanborn, IA and Ankeny, IA.
1
Start on East 2nd Street
47 ft·4 sec·East 2nd Street
2
Turn right onto Main Street
0.3 mi·1 min·Main Street
3
Turn right onto US 18
0.2 mi·31 sec·US-18
4
Continue on US 18
1.4 mi·2 min·320th Street
5
Turn right onto US 59
6.0 mi·8 min·Silver Avenue
Use the right lane.
6
Continue on US 59
1.6 mi·2 min·North Rerick Avenue
7
Continue on US 59
7.2 mi·9 min·Silver Avenue
8
Continue on US 59; IA 10
4.1 mi·5 min·470th Street
9
Turn right onto US 59
4.0 mi·5 min·Tanager Avenue
Use the right lane.
10
Continue on US 59
3.1 mi·4 min·Q Avenue
11
Continue on US 59
6.6 mi·9 min·Railroad Street
12
Turn left onto IA 3
2.7 mi·3 min·State Highway 3
13
Turn left onto IA 3
3.4 mi·4 min·530th Street
14
Turn right onto IA 7
2.0 mi·2 min·V Avenue
15
Continue on IA 7
1.4 mi·2 min·1st Street
16
Continue on IA 7
2.1 mi·2 min·State Highway 7
17
Continue on IA 7
1.1 mi·1 min·Highway 7
18
Turn right onto 20th Avenue
9.2 mi·12 min·20th Avenue
19
Continue on CR M27
6.0 mi·8 min·Armstrong Avenue
20
At end of road, turn left onto US 20
92 mi·1 hr 46 min·220th Street
21
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
22
Merge onto I 35
49 mi·53 min·I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Take the exit
0.3 mi·34 sec
Exit 92Toward 1st Street
24
Keep slight right at fork
301 ft·9 sec
25
Turn straight onto East 1st Street
1.4 mi·3 min·East 1st Street
26
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi·40 sec·Southwest Walnut Street
27
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft·2 sec·Southwest 3rd Street
28
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 14m estimated drive time, leaving in the morning will give you plenty of flexibility. With only one recommended stop, you can easily complete this trip in a single day. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 92.4-mile stretch on 220th Street, as services might be more spread out there. The interstate portion will offer more frequent opportunities for fuel and rest breaks.
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 103.2 miles from Sanborn, IA, or about 2h 15m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 92.4 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 45 miles or 1h 4m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 103.2 miles or 2h 15m 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 31m
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 Sanborn, 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 Sanborn, IA
This is one driving day of about 206.3 miles and 4h 14m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 45 miles from Sanborn, 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 92.4 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 155.3 — 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|Main Street
Turn right onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|US 18 / US-18
Turn right onto US 18 / US-18
Navigation decision point
6
1.9 mi into trip|~3m in|US 59 / Silver Avenue
Turn right onto US 59 / Silver Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
20.8 mi into trip|~30m in|US 59 / Tanager Avenue
Turn right onto US 59 / Tanager Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
155.3 mi into trip|~3h 16m in|I 35
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$30.47 one way
$60.93 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg72 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$33.63
$67.27
premium
$4.72
$38.30
$76.61
diesel
$4.80
$38.95
$77.91
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$30
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$55–$80
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 72.2 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
61.9
0
$21.66
$9.90
Efficient EV
51.6
0
$18.05
$8.25
EV Truck/SUV
82.5
1
$28.88
$13.20
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
Sanborn, IA
Late night
in Sanborn on Sunday
Local time
3:15 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Mostly Clear
E 5 to 10 mph0% 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
3:15 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
91°F
Lake City, IA
103 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
4 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 14m 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?
This drive features 27% highway travel, with the longest continuous stretch being 92.4 miles on 220th Street. You'll start on surface roads, likely experiencing a more rural pace, before merging onto I 35 for a portion of the trip. Expect a mix of slower, local road driving and faster interstate speeds.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 92.4 mi on 220th Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Main 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 4h 14m 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 (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 18 / US-18): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles (US 59 / Silver Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
The longest stretch is about 92.4 miles on 220th Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 8 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 (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 18 / US-18): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles (US 59 / Silver Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 4.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.5 hours — manageable with a long break at Ankeny, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
