Origin
Waukee, IA
Late night in Waukee on Friday
Local time
5:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waukee, IA to Indianola, IA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
33.4 mi
54 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waukee, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Indianola, IA
Quang Nguyen Vinh
Trip Overview
Waukee, IA to Indianola, IA is 33.4 miles and takes about 47m via Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Iowa. The drive primarily utilizes surface roads, making it a straightforward local connection. It's an easy excursion for those looking to travel a short distance between two nearby towns without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| Southridge Boulevard | 10 mi | 16m |
| Hickman Road | 5.6 mi | 9m |
| I 35 | 4.6 mi | 5m |
| I 80 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| 6th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East 2nd Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Ashworth Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
— 10.3 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waukee, IA and Indianola, IA.
1
Start on Ashworth Drive
139 ft
·
7 sec
·
Ashworth Drive
2
Turn right onto CR R22
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
6th Street
3
Turn right onto US 6
5.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Hickman Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I-35 south, I-80 west
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 80; I 35
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
I 80; I 35
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 68
Toward IA 5: Des Moines International Airport, West Des Moines, Norwalk
Use the slight right lane.
8
Continue on IA 5
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 70A
Toward US 65 South, US 69 South: Indianola
10
Turn straight onto US 65; US 69
10 mi
·
16 min
·
Southridge Boulevard
11
Turn left onto IA 92
291 ft
·
6 sec
·
East 2nd Avenue
12
Turn right
79 ft
·
5 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.7 miles from Waukee, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 22.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 6 / Hickman Road
Turn right onto US 6 / Hickman Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
5.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I-35 south, I-80 west
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I-35 south, I-80 west
6
7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 35
Keep slight left at fork onto I 35
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
11.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward IA 5: Des Moines International Airport, West Des Moines, Norwalk
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 68
Toward IA 5: Des Moines International Airport,...
6
22.7 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward US 65 South, US 69 South: Indianola
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 70A
Toward US 65 South, US 69 South: Indianola
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.18 one way
$10.36 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $5.68 | $11.36 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.48 | $12.96 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.36 | $14.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10 | 0 | $3.51 | $1.60 |
| Efficient EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.92 | $1.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.68 | $2.14 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Indianola, IA
Late night in Indianola on Friday
Local time
5:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
89°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
73°F
Norwalk, IA
17 mi in
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
17 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
47m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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 mostly surface roads, with only about 17% of the drive on highways. You'll spend the bulk of your time on local streets, with the longest continuous stretch on Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway measuring 10.3 miles. Expect to navigate through more developed areas with frequent intersections and potential for traffic signals, rather than long stretches of open highway.
Only 17% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.3 mi on Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway.
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 0.2 miles in near US 6 / Hickman Road.
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 9 decision points packed into just 33.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 6 / Hickman Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7 miles (I 35): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,033 ft
795 ft
Total Climb
382 ft
Total Descent
444 ft
Highest Point
1,033 ft
Elevation Range
238 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Waukee, IA and Indianola, IA, road signs point toward Des Moines and Norwalk.
Des Moines
11.6 mi in
|
~16m
Norwalk
11.6 mi in
|
~16m
About the Cities
Starting in Waukee, IA
Full guide →Founded 1869
Arriving in Indianola, IA
Full guide →Founded 1849
Top landmarks
- • Warren County Administration Building — building in Indianola, Iowa
- • Indianola Carnegie Library — historic building located in Indianola, Iowa, United States
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 47m. Total distance: 33.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m 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 10.3 miles on Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Indianola, 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 0.2 miles (US 6 / Hickman Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7 miles (I 35): 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 Indianola, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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