The drive from Shenandoah, IA to Ankeny, IA covers 155 miles and takes about 3h 12m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 80, Fremont Street, US 59 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 94.6 miles on I 80.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $25.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
77.5 miles from Shenandoah, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 43m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 80
94.6 mi
1h 42m
Fremont Street
38.8 mi
54m
US 59
13.8 mi
20m
Northwest 2nd Street
2.8 mi
4m
Southwest State Street
2.5 mi
4m
Southwest Ordnance Road
0.9 mi
1m
West Sheridan Avenue
0.7 mi
1m
Southwest Walnut Street
0.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 94.6 mi, about 1h 42m
Traffic on I-35
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,498 veh/hr typical
· worst 5,234
Quietest
2 AM
~283 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 81 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 Shenandoah, IA and Ankeny, IA.
1
Start on West Clarinda Avenue
108 ft·7 sec·West Clarinda Avenue
2
Turn right onto South Blossom Street
99 ft·9 sec·South Blossom Street
3
Turn left onto West Sheridan Avenue
0.7 mi·1 min·West Sheridan Avenue
4
Turn right onto US 59
39 mi·54 min·Fremont Street
Use the left lane.
5
Turn left onto US 59
6.4 mi·9 min·US 59
Use the left lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto US 59
7.5 mi·11 min·US 59
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·33 sec
8
Merge onto I 80
82 mi·1 hr 28 min·I 80
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80
12 mi·14 min·I 80
Exit 123BToward I 35, I 80 East: Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas CityUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi·48 sec
Exit 135Toward IA 415: Polk CityUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn left onto IA 415
2.8 mi·4 min·Northwest 2nd Street
12
Continue on IA 415
2.5 mi·4 min·Southwest State Street
13
Turn right onto Southwest Ordnance Road
0.9 mi·1 min·Southwest Ordnance Road
14
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.4 mi·1 min·Southwest Walnut Street
15
Turn right onto Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft·2 sec·Southwest 3rd Street
16
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Trip Plan
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 77.5 miles from Shenandoah, IA, or about 1h 43m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 94.6 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 34 miles or 48m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 77.5 miles or 1h 43m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 36m
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 Shenandoah, 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 Shenandoah, IA
This is one driving day of about 155 miles and 3h 12m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 34 miles from Shenandoah, 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 I 80 for about 94.6 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 148.2 — 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|South Blossom Street
Turn right onto South Blossom Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.7 mi into trip|~1m in|US 59 / Fremont Street
Turn right onto US 59 / Fremont Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
39.5 mi into trip|~56m in|US 59
Turn left onto US 59
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
9
135.7 mi into trip|~2h 45m in|I 80
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 toward I 35, I 80 East: Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 123B
Toward I 35, I 80 East: Chicago, Minneapolis, K...
7
148.2 mi into trip|~3h in
Take the exit toward IA 415: Polk City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 135
Toward IA 415: Polk City
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$25.86 one way
$51.71 round trip
$4.24/gal25.4 MPG avg54 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$28.10
$56.20
premium
$5.26
$32.09
$64.18
diesel
$6.18
$37.71
$75.41
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$26
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$51–$76
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 54.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $16 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
46.5
0
$16.28
$7.44
Efficient EV
38.8
0
$13.56
$6.20
EV Truck/SUV
62
0
$21.70
$9.92
Gas CO2
54 kg
EV CO2
18 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 Oct 16, 2026
Origin
Shenandoah, IA
Late night
in Shenandoah on Saturday
Local time
4:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
32°F
Mostly Clear then Widespread Frost
NNW 0 to 12 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 2:53PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 1:55PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Destination
Ankeny, IA
Late night
in Ankeny on Saturday
Local time
4:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
33°F
Mostly Clear then Areas Of Frost
NW 1 to 13 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 2:53PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 1:55PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
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
3h 12m 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?
155 mi in 3h 12m, mostly highway — 94.6 mi of that is on I 80.
70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 94.6 mi on I 80.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and Fremont Street. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South Blossom Street.
Driving Effort5/10
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 155 miles you will encounter 11 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 (South Blossom Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 59 / Fremont Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 39.5 miles (US 59): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,387 ft834 ft
Total Climb
667 ft
Total Descent
655 ft
Highest Point
1,387 ft
~87 mi in
Elevation Range
553 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Shenandoah, IA and Ankeny, IA, road signs point toward Minneapolis and Kansas City.
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 12m. Total distance: 155 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 94.6 miles on I 80. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
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 (South Blossom Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 59 / Fremont Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 39.5 miles (US 59): Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 3.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.4 hours — manageable with a long break at Ankeny, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
