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Trip from Urbandale, IA to Runnells, IA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

41m

Distance

29.3 mi

47 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Fair

3 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 38m ★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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city in Polk and Dallas counties, Iowa, United States

Urbandale, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Runnells, IA, IA

Runnells, IA

Barnabas Davoti

Trip Overview

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

~4,498 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

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

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 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 141 Toward US 65 South: Altoona, Des Moines Use 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 79 Toward 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

$4.80 one way

$9.60 round trip

$4.16/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.46 $5.14 $10.29
premium $5.06 $5.84 $11.68
diesel $6.07 $7.00 $13.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way.

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 Oct 17, 2026

Origin

Urbandale, IA

Morning in Urbandale on Saturday

Local time

10:07 AM

CDT

Current temp

33°F

Mostly Clear then Areas Of Frost

NW 1 to 7 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 9:00PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 9:00PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Destination

Runnells, IA

Morning in Runnells on Saturday

Local time

10:07 AM

CDT

Current temp

33°F

Mostly Clear then Areas Of Frost

NW 1 to 8 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 9:00PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 9:00PM CDT until October 17 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Sioux Falls SD

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

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.

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 Effort 7/10

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 ft 806 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.

Des Moines

11.3 mi in | ~15m

Pleasant Hill

15.8 mi in | ~21m

About the Cities

Starting in Urbandale, IA

Full guide →

Founded 1917

Top landmarks

  • • Olmsted Family Farmhouse — historic building located in Urbandale, Iowa, United States

Arriving in Runnells, IA

Full guide →

Founded 1903

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

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.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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