Urbandale, IA to Runnells, IA is 29.3 miles and takes about 41m via I 80 and East University Avenue, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, same-day trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Iowa. Expect a drive that feels more like navigating local roads with frequent turns rather than a long-haul highway journey. Given the brief duration and minimal cost, it's a convenient option for a quick local excursion or a brief connection between points in the area.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 80
7.8 mi
9m
East University Avenue
5.1 mi
6m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
3.8 mi
4m
Southeast 116th Street
3.3 mi
5m
Northeast University Avenue
1.8 mi
2m
Northeast 112th Street
1.4 mi
2m
70th Street
1.2 mi
2m
Southeast Camp Drive
0.9 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 7.8 mi, about 9m
Traffic on I-35
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,587 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~288 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 39 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 Urbandale, IA and Runnells, IA.
1
Start on Maryland Drive
13 ft·2 sec·Maryland Drive
2
Turn right onto 70th Street
1.2 mi·2 min·70th Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto Meredith Drive
0.8 mi·1 min·Meredith Drive
4
Turn left onto IA 28
0.5 mi·1 min·Merle Hay Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·40 sec
Toward I-35 north, I-80 east
6
Merge onto I 80; I 35
4.0 mi·4 min·I 80; I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 35; I 80
0.7 mi·50 sec·I 35; I 80
8
Continue on I 80; I 35
0.6 mi·40 sec·I 80; I 35
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
3.3 mi·3 min·I 80
Use the slight left lane.
10
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Exit 141Toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des MoinesUse the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto US 65
3.8 mi·4 min·Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi·55 sec
Exit 79Toward IA 163: East University Avenue, Pleasant Hill
13
Turn left onto IA 163
3.3 mi·4 min·East University Avenue
14
Continue on IA 163
1.8 mi·2 min·Northeast University Avenue
15
Continue on IA 163
1.7 mi·2 min·East University Avenue
16
Turn right onto Northeast 112th Street
1.4 mi·2 min·Northeast 112th Street
17
Continue on Southeast Camp Drive
0.9 mi·1 min·Southeast Camp Drive
18
Continue on Camp Drive
0.2 mi·19 sec·Camp Drive
19
Continue on Southeast 116th Street
3.3 mi·5 min·Southeast 116th Street
20
Continue on Brown Street
0.5 mi·57 sec·Brown Street
21
Turn left onto IA-316
78 ft·1 sec·East McKinney Street
22
Arrive at destination
IA-316
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 15.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.2 mi into trip|~2m in|Meredith Drive
At end of road, turn right onto Meredith Drive
Navigation decision point
5
2.5 mi into trip|~5m in
Take the ramp toward I-35 north, I-80 east
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-35 north, I-80 east
6
8.1 mi into trip|~12m in|I 80
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
8
11.3 mi into trip|~15m in
Take the exit toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des Moines
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 141
Toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des Moines
6
15.8 mi into trip|~21m in
Take the exit toward IA 163: East University Avenue, Pleasant Hill
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 79
Toward IA 163: East University Avenue, Pleasant...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.33 one way
$8.65 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg10 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$4.78
$9.55
premium
$4.72
$5.44
$10.88
diesel
$4.80
$5.53
$11.06
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging
· 0 stops
· 70% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
8.8
0
$3.08
$1.41
Efficient EV
7.3
0
$2.56
$1.17
EV Truck/SUV
11.7
0
$4.10
$1.88
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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 8, 2026
Origin
Urbandale, IA
Late night
in Urbandale on Monday
Local time
2:23 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Mostly Clear
S 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 7 at 9:25PM CDT until July 10 at 7:48AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 7 at 9:25PM CDT until July 11 at 4:30PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Destination
Runnells, IA
Late night
in Runnells on Monday
Local time
2:23 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Clear
S 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 7 at 9:25PM CDT until July 10 at 7:48AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 7 at 9:25PM CDT until July 11 at 4:30PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
41m 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 is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be making frequent directional changes. While 29% of the journey utilizes highways like I 80, the longest uninterrupted stretch is 7.8 miles on I 80. This suggests a dynamic driving experience, transitioning between faster highway segments and more intricate local road navigation. Be prepared for a varied pace, with moments of cruising on the interstate followed by more engaged driving through urban or suburban areas.
Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on I 80.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near Meredith Drive.
Driving Effort7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 29.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (Meredith Drive): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.1 miles (I 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
977 ft806 ft
Total Climb
352 ft
Total Descent
488 ft
Highest Point
977 ft
~12.6 mi in
Elevation Range
171 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Urbandale, IA and Runnells, IA, road signs point toward Des Moines and Pleasant Hill.
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 29.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on I 80. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 4 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.
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 Runnells, 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: at 1.2 miles (Meredith Drive): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.1 miles (I 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Runnells, IA before heading back.
