--- title: "Ames to Des Moines – 2 ways by car, taxi | Mixroutes" description: "Ames to Des Moines is 48 km. Fastest: undefined in 0 min. Cheapest: undefined from –. Real timetables, prices labelled live, quoted or estimated." url: "https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/ames-to-des-moines" markdown: "https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/ames-to-des-moines.md" image: "https://www.mixroutes.com/og.png" --- # How to get from Ames to Des Moines [Plan it for your day](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Ames&to=Des+Moines) [Des Moines to Ames](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/des-moines-to-ames) **Fastest:** 46 min\ by car, door to door\ **Cheapest:** $4.5\ by car\ **Distance:** 48 km\ as the crow flies\ **Departures today:** 5\ 3 ways, Sun 1 Nov\ ## 3 ways to travel 48 km apart. Times are the timetables for Sun 1 Nov, planned from 08:00; every price says whether it is live, the operator's fare or our estimate. We add nothing to any fare. best$19 cheaper than the bus and about as quick. - [**Drive** best fastest cheapest 46 min$4.5–6 Estimated 55 km · fuel only](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Ames&to=Des+Moines) - [**Bus** 45 min$19–45 Estimated 5 departures · Burlington Trailways](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Ames&to=Des+Moines) - [**Taxi** 46 min$90–120 Estimated one-way cab](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Ames&to=Des+Moines) Data: [Timetables via Transitous](https://transitous.org/sources/) · [Roads © OpenStreetMap contributors, routed by OSRM](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) · [Places from GeoNames, CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) · [All credits and licences](https://www.mixroutes.com/credits) ## Departures today 1. [10:23 → 14:37 4h 14m · 1 change · Greyhound-us Greyhound US0154S$26–45](https://www.mixroutes.com/itinerary?from=Ames&to=Des+Moines&date=2026-11-01&time=08%3A00&it=t0) 2. [16:10 → 17:12 1h 2m · direct · Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines 803$19–30](https://www.mixroutes.com/itinerary?from=Ames&to=Des+Moines&date=2026-11-01&time=08%3A00&it=t1) 3. [18:07 → 19:02 55 min · direct · Greyhound-us Greyhound US0154S$23–34](https://www.mixroutes.com/itinerary?from=Ames&to=Des+Moines&date=2026-11-01&time=08%3A00&it=t2) 4. [21:10 → 22:07 57 min · direct · Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines 801$19–30](https://www.mixroutes.com/itinerary?from=Ames&to=Des+Moines&date=2026-11-01&time=08%3A00&it=t3) 5. [04:27^+1 → 05:12^+1 45 min · direct · Greyhound-us Greyhound US0156$23–34](https://www.mixroutes.com/itinerary?from=Ames&to=Des+Moines&date=2026-11-01&time=08%3A00&it=t4) Timetable data via Transitous and the operators' own GTFS feeds. Live delays arrive when an operator publishes a real-time feed. ## Questions people ask How long does it take to get from Ames to Des Moines? The fastest way is by car: about 46 min door to door. The straight-line distance is 48 km. What is the cheapest way from Ames to Des Moines? Drive is the cheapest, from $4.5. That figure is an estimate from the operator's fare bands, not a live quote. How much is the bus from Ames to Des Moines? Buses take about 45 min and cost $19–45 depending on operator and seat type. 5 departures appear in today's timetable window. How far is Des Moines from Ames by road? About 55 km, roughly 46 min of driving in normal traffic. Fuel alone costs around $4.5–6; tolls and parking are extra. ## Who runs it Buses - Greyhound-us - Burlington Trailways - Jefferson Lines Read from today's timetables. Operators don't pay to be listed here. ## In Des Moines Capital and most populous city of Iowa, US Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is named after the Des Moines River, likely derived from the French Rivière des Moines meaning 'River of the Monks'. The city was incorporated in 1851 as Fort Des Moines and shortened to Des Moines in 1857. Its population was 214,133 at the 2020 census. The six-county Des Moines metropolitan area has an estimated 750,000 residents, the largest metropolitan area located entirely in Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, with parts south of County Line Road extending into Warren County. 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