Origin
Windsor Heights, IA
Late night in Windsor Heights on Tuesday
Local time
3:52 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Windsor Heights, 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
26m
Distance
14.8 mi
24 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Windsor Heights, IA
Tom Fisk
Ankeny, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Windsor Heights, IA to Ankeny, IA is 14.8 miles and takes about 26 minutes via Merle Hay Road, I 80, and Northwest 2nd Street, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region, specifically crossing from one part of Iowa to another. Given its brief duration, this drive feels more like a quick transition between two points rather than an extensive journey. It's a practical route for locals or those needing to connect two nearby Iowa communities efficiently, especially with minimal time commitment required.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Merle Hay Road | 3.5 mi | 7m |
| I 80 | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| Northwest 2nd Street | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Southwest State Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Southwest Ordnance Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| University Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Southwest Walnut Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| 66th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Merle Hay Road
— 3.5 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Windsor Heights, IA and Ankeny, IA.
1
Start on 66th Street
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
·
66th Street
2
Turn right onto University Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
University Avenue
3
Turn left onto Merle Hay Road
3.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Merle Hay Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I-35 north, I-80 east
5
Merge onto I 80; I 35
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
I 80; I 35
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 135
Toward IA 415: Polk City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn left onto IA 415
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Northwest 2nd Street
8
Continue on IA 415
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Southwest State Street
9
Turn right onto Southwest Ordnance Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Southwest Ordnance Road
10
Turn left onto Southwest Walnut Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Southwest Walnut Street
11
Turn right onto Southwest 3rd Street
48 ft
·
2 sec
·
Southwest 3rd Street
12
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 13.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
University Avenue
Turn right onto University Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Merle Hay Road
Turn left onto Merle Hay Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
4.3 mi into trip
|
~9m 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
7
7.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward IA 415: Polk City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 135
Toward IA 415: Polk City
4
13.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
Southwest Ordnance Road
Turn right onto Southwest Ordnance Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.31 one way
$4.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.54 | $5.08 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.85 | $5.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.27 | $6.54 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.55 | $0.71 |
| Efficient EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
3:52 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
26m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 14.8-mile trip, with only 23% of it on the highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 3.5 miles along Merle Hay Road. This route involves navigating through city streets and potentially some higher-speed arterial roads, requiring frequent adjustments to speed and direction. The character of the drive shifts from local streets to potentially faster highway segments before returning to more local thoroughfares as you approach your destination.
Only 23% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.5 mi on Merle Hay Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near University Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 26m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (University Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (Merle Hay Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 26m. Total distance: 14.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (23%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.5 miles on Merle Hay Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 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 0.2 miles (University Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (Merle Hay Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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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