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Trip from West Des Moines, IA to Melcher-Dallas, IA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

58m

Distance

42.2 mi

68 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 53m ★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Polk, Dallas, Warren, and Madison counties, Iowa, United States

West Des Moines, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Melcher-Dallas, IA, IA

Melcher-Dallas, IA

Talena Reese

Trip Overview

West Des Moines, IA to Melcher-Dallas, IA is 42.2 miles and takes about 58m via IA 5, County Road S45, and Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Iowa, offering a straightforward drive. It's ideal for a quick excursion or an easy commute, bypassing the need for an overnight stay. You'll experience a mixed drive profile, so expect some variety in your journey without it being overly demanding. Consider this route for a simple, efficient way to get from point A to point B.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
IA 5 19 mi 22m
County Road S45 9.2 mi 16m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway 8.1 mi 9m
Southwest 63rd Street 2.5 mi 4m
State Highway 28 2.2 mi 3m
Vine Street 0.4 mi 1m
Northeast Main Street <0.1 mi <1m
1st Street Northwest <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: IA 5 — 19 mi, about 22m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between West Des Moines, IA and Melcher-Dallas, IA.

1

Start on Vine Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Vine Street
2

Turn right onto IA 28

2.5 mi · 4 min · Southwest 63rd Street;1st Street
3

Continue on IA 28

2.2 mi · 3 min · State Highway 28
4

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
5

Merge onto IA 5

8.1 mi · 9 min · Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit onto IA 5

19 mi · 22 min · IA 5
Toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
7

Continue on CR S45

3.7 mi · 6 min · County Road S45
8

Keep slight left at fork onto CR S45

5.5 mi · 9 min · County Road S45
9

Continue on CR S45

461 ft · 14 sec · 1st Street Northwest
10

Turn left onto CR S45

367 ft · 9 sec · B Street Northwest
11

Turn right onto CR S45

462 ft · 9 sec · Northeast Main Street
12

Arrive at destination

CR S45

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Pleasant Hill, IA, IA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Pleasant Hill, IA

21 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

Pleasantville, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Pleasant Hill, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.1 miles from West Des Moines, 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 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 5.6 and 42.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
5.6 mi into trip | ~9m in | IA 5 / Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway

Merge onto IA 5 / Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
13.8 mi into trip | ~18m in | IA 5

Take the exit onto IA 5 toward IA 5 South: Carlisle

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
4
36.5 mi into trip | ~48m in | CR S45 / County Road S45

Keep slight left at fork onto CR S45 / County Road S45

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
42.1 mi into trip | ~57m in | CR S45 / B Street Northwest

Turn left onto CR S45 / B Street Northwest

Navigation decision point

5
42.1 mi into trip | ~58m in | CR S45 / Northeast Main Street

Turn right onto CR S45 / Northeast Main Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.60 one way

$13.19 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $7.24 $14.49
premium $4.89 $8.12 $16.24
diesel $5.61 $9.32 $18.63

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.7 0 $4.43 $2.03
Efficient EV 10.6 0 $3.69 $1.69
EV Truck/SUV 16.9 0 $5.91 $2.70

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

West Des Moines, IA

Late night in West Des Moines on Sunday

Local time

5:21 AM

CDT

Current temp

34°F

Clear

NW 13 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 18 at 2:33AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 17 at 10:38PM CDT until April 24 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

Melcher-Dallas, IA

Late night in Melcher-Dallas on Sunday

Local time

5:21 AM

CDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

53°F

Pleasant Hill, IA

21 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

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

58m 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 drive features a 50% highway share, meaning you'll encounter both faster-paced roads and more local routes. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 19 miles, primarily on IA 5, offering a good period of steady travel. As you transition to County Road S45 and the Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway, the drive will likely shift, potentially offering a more rural feel. The 'mixed drive' profile suggests a dynamic experience, keeping you engaged without feeling monotonous. You'll notice the landscape changing as you move between these different road types.

50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19 mi on IA 5.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 5.6 miles in near IA 5 / Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 58m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 5.6 miles (IA 5 / Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles (IA 5): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 36.5 miles (CR S45 / County Road S45): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

About the Cities

Starting in West Des Moines, IA

Full guide →

West Des Moines is a small city in Central Iowa, the largest suburb of Des Moines.

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 58m. Total distance: 42.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

58m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (50%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 19 miles on IA 5. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 5.6 miles (IA 5 / Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles (IA 5): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 36.5 miles (CR S45 / County Road S45): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Melcher-Dallas, 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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