Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 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
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Urbandale, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Runnells, IA
Barnabas Davoti
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.
| 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 |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 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
Averaged across 39 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Urbandale, IA and Runnells, IA.
Start on Maryland Drive
Turn right onto 70th Street
At end of road, turn right onto Meredith Drive
Turn left onto IA 28
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 80; I 35
Continue on I 35; I 80
Continue on I 80; I 35
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
Take the exit
Merge onto US 65
Take the exit
Turn left onto IA 163
Continue on IA 163
Continue on IA 163
Turn right onto Northeast 112th Street
Continue on Southeast Camp Drive
Continue on Camp Drive
Continue on Southeast 116th Street
Continue on Brown Street
Turn left onto IA-316
Arrive at destination
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.
At end of road, turn right onto Meredith Drive
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp toward I-35 north, I-80 east
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
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
Regular Gas
$4.87 one way
$9.74 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $5.31 | $10.61 |
| premium | $5.18 | $5.98 | $11.96 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $6.17 | $12.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Urbandale on Wednesday
Local time
4:54 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Afternoon in Runnells on Wednesday
Local time
4:54 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
352 ft
Total Descent
488 ft
Highest Point
977 ft
~12.6 mi in
Elevation Range
171 ft
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
Pleasant Hill
Founded 1917
Top landmarks
Founded 1903
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
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.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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