Origin
Woodward, IA
Late night in Woodward on Tuesday
Local time
5:19 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Woodward, IA to Ames, 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
43m
Distance
29.7 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Woodward, IA
Chris Flaten
Ames, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick connection in the heart of the Midwest, the 29.7-mile journey from Woodward to Ames is an ideal choice. You can comfortably complete this trip in about 43 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day outing. Budgeting around $5 for fuel should keep you covered for the entire distance. Since the route stays within Iowa, you won't need to worry about changing time zones or crossing state lines. It is a straightforward drive that works best as a short excursion rather than an overnight excursion, giving you plenty of flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Kennedy Avenue | 10.8 mi | 15m |
| 230th Street | 7.6 mi | 8m |
| IA 210 | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| 220th Street | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| University Boulevard | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Grand Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| South 4th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East 1st Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
North Kennedy Avenue
— 10.8 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Woodward, IA and Ames, IA.
1
Start on IA 210
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
South Main Street
2
Turn right onto IA 210
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
IA 210
3
At end of road, turn right onto IA 210
415 ft
·
12 sec
·
East 1st Street
4
At end of road, turn left onto IA 210
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
East 1st Street
5
Turn left onto IA 17; IA 210
11 mi
·
15 min
·
North Kennedy Avenue
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward US 30 East: Ames
7
Merge onto US 30
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
220th Street
8
Continue on US 30
7.6 mi
·
8 min
·
230th Street
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward Iowa State University
10
Turn left onto University Boulevard
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
University Boulevard
11
Turn right onto South 4th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South 4th Street
12
Turn left onto South Grand Avenue
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Grand Avenue
13
Continue on I 35 Business; US 69
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Grand Avenue
14
Turn right onto I 35 Business
117 ft
·
3 sec
·
13th Street
15
Arrive at destination
I 35 Business
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 5.7 and 29.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
5.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
IA 210 / East 1st Street
At end of road, turn right onto IA 210 / East 1st Street
Navigation decision point
5
5.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
IA 210 / East 1st Street
At end of road, turn left onto IA 210 / East 1st Street
Navigation decision point
4
17 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the ramp toward US 30 East: Ames
Navigation decision point
Toward US 30 East: Ames
4
26.5 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward Iowa State University
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Iowa State University
4
29.6 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
I 35 Business / 13th Street
Turn right onto I 35 Business / 13th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.64 one way
$9.29 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.10 | $10.20 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.72 | $11.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.56 | $13.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.16 | $1.90 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Ames, IA
Late night in Ames on Tuesday
Local time
5:19 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
1 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
43m 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 that keeps you engaged as you navigate through the Iowa landscape. You will traverse several main roads, including North Kennedy Avenue, 230th Street, and IA 210. While roughly 18 miles of the journey involve highway travel, the rest of the trip relies on local roads that demand your attention. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs during the 10.8 miles spent on North Kennedy Avenue. Overall, the experience is less about high-speed cruising and more about navigating the specific twists and turns of these local routes.
Only 18% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on North Kennedy Avenue.
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 5.7 miles in near IA 210 / East 1st Street.
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 43m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.7 miles (IA 210 / East 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles (IA 210 / East 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 17 miles: Navigation decision point.
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.
On the drive from Woodward, IA to Ames, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Iowa State University along the way.
Iowa State University
26.5 mi in
|
~36m
About the Cities
Arriving in Ames, IA
Full guide →Founded 1864
Ames is a pleasant college town in Central Iowa, sitting astride the Skunk River roughly 30 miles north of Des Moines. Life in Ames follows the ebb and flow of the academic year at Iowa State University, which is the city's primary draw.
Top landmarks
- • Catt Hall — building on Iowa State University's campus, U.S.
- • Food Sciences Building — historic building on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, United S...
- • Ames City Hall — United States historic place
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 43m. Total distance: 29.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (18%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on North Kennedy Avenue. 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 5.7 miles (IA 210 / East 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles (IA 210 / East 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 17 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ames, 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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