Origin
Webster City, IA
Late night in Webster City on Tuesday
Local time
4:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Webster City, IA to Ankeny, IA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 16m
Distance
65.5 mi
105 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Webster City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Ankeny, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Webster City, IA to Ankeny, IA is 65.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 16 minutes via I 35 and US 20, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Iowa, moving from the Midwest region to the same. It's a straightforward, highway-focused trip ideal for a single day, whether you're heading south for a specific destination or just passing through. Given its relatively short distance and primary reliance on major roads, it's a practical option for a quick transit between these two Iowa locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 49.1 mi | 53m |
| US 20 | 11.9 mi | 13m |
| East 1st Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Superior Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Briggs Woods Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Southwest Walnut Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 2nd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Southwest 3rd Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 49.1 mi, about 53m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Webster City, IA and Ankeny, IA.
1
Start on CR D20
60 ft
·
5 sec
·
2nd Street
2
Turn right onto Superior Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Superior Street
3
Continue on IA 17
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Briggs Woods Road
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward US 20 East
5
Merge onto US 20
12 mi
·
13 min
·
US 20
6
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
7
Merge onto I 35
49 mi
·
53 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 92
Toward 1st Street
9
Keep slight right at fork
301 ft
·
9 sec
10
Turn straight onto East 1st Street
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
East 1st Street
11
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Southwest Walnut Street
12
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft
·
2 sec
·
Southwest 3rd Street
13
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
33 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.8 miles from Webster City, 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 1.5 and 65.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward US 20 East
Navigation decision point
Toward US 20 East
5
14.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
I 35
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
63.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
Take the exit toward 1st Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 92
Toward 1st Street
5
63.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
65.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
|
Southwest 3rd Street
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.24 one way
$20.48 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $11.24 | $22.49 |
| premium | $4.89 | $12.60 | $25.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.46 | $28.92 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.7 | 0 | $6.88 | $3.14 |
| Efficient EV | 16.4 | 0 | $5.73 | $2.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.2 | 0 | $9.17 | $4.19 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (65% 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
Ankeny, IA
Late night in Ankeny on Tuesday
Local time
4:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
18 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
1h 16m 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 predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 93% of it utilizing major roadways like I 35 and US 20. Expect long stretches of consistent speed, including a significant 49.1-mile segment on I 35 where you'll be covering ground efficiently. The initial part of the journey might involve local roads like East 1st Street before merging onto the interstate system. The character of the drive is largely about smooth, uninterrupted travel on well-maintained highways, making it a predictable and efficient transit.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 49.1 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and US 20. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 65.5 miles you will encounter 9 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: at 1.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 14.5 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 63.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Arriving in Ankeny, IA
Full guide →Ankeny is a suburb of Des Moines in Central Iowa.
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 1h 16m. Total distance: 65.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 49.1 miles on I 35. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 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.
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 1.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 14.5 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 63.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ankeny, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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