How far is Polk City, IA from Urbandale, IA?

The driving distance from Polk City, IA to Urbandale, IA is about 15 miles (24.1 km), with a travel time of about 00h 24m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 10 miles (16.1 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 48m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM CDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
14.98 mi
00h 24m
Flight
10 mi
16.09 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Polk City.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
10 mi
Kilometers
16.09 km
Flight Time
00h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
14.98 mi
Kilometers
24.11 km
Drive Time
00h 24m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 24m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Urbandale
Sat, May 30, 7:18 PM CDT
Return by in Polk City
Sat, May 30, 7:43 PM CDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Polk City
2026-05-30T18:54
Arrive Urbandale
Sat, May 30, 7:18 PM CDT
Route Timing
00h 24m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM CDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:24 AM to 7:24 PM CDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:42 PM CDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Polk City
10:00 PM CDT
Flexible departure

This departure sits inside the recommended comfort window for the route.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Johnston
IA

City in Iowa, United States

From Polk City
7.1 mi
00h 12m
To Urbandale
7.8 mi
00h 12m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
78°F
This Afternoon

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Sat, May 30 2:00 PM CDT
Wind
15 mph SE
Destination
77°F
This Afternoon

Mostly Cloudy

Starts
Sat, May 30 4:00 PM CDT
Wind
13 mph SE

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Polk City and Urbandale.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Polk City and Urbandale.

  1. 1

    Start on North 2nd Street

    5 m · 3 sec · North 2nd Street

  2. 2

    Turn right onto West Broadway Street

    85 m · 19 sec · West Broadway Street

  3. 3

    Turn left onto South 3rd Street

    3016 ft · 1 min · South 3rd Street

  4. 4

    Continue on Northwest Polk City Drive

    4.3 mi · 6 min · Northwest Polk City Drive

  5. 5

    Continue on Northwest 35th Street

    1.3 km · 1 min · Northwest 35th Street

  6. 6

    Turn right onto Northwest 84th Avenue

    1616 ft · 35 sec · Northwest 84th Avenue

  7. 7

    Continue on Northwest 37th Street

    1.1 mi · 2 min · Northwest 37th Street

  8. 8

    Continue on Northwest Fisher Lane

    116 m · 8 sec · Northwest Fisher Lane

  9. 9

    Turn right onto Northwest Toni Drive

    1.1 mi · 2 min · Northwest Toni Drive

  10. 10

    At the end of the road, turn right onto Northwest 66th Avenue

    1.4 km · 2 min · Northwest 66th Avenue

  11. 11

    Turn left onto Northwest Beaver Drive

    1.6 mi · 3 min · Northwest Beaver Drive

  12. 12

    Turn right onto Northwest Johnston Drive

    1.1 km · 1 min · Northwest Johnston Drive

  13. 13

    Turn left onto Merle Hay Road

    1.5 km · 2 min · Merle Hay Road

  14. 14

    Turn right onto Meredith Drive

    1.2 km · 1 min · Meredith Drive

  15. 15

    Turn left onto 70th Street

    1.2 mi · 3 min · 70th Street

  16. 16

    Turn left onto Maryland Drive

    4 m · 1 sec · Maryland Drive

  17. 17

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Maryland Drive

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Polk City and Urbandale.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
17 steps
11 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
0
0 merges, 0 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
113.3 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Northwest Polk City Drive
4.35 mi · 29%
Northwest Beaver Drive
1.63 mi · 11%
70th Street
1.18 mi · 8%
Northwest 37th Street
1.12 mi · 7%
Northwest Toni Drive
1.06 mi · 7%
Merle Hay Road
0.95 mi · 6%
Longest Stretch

Northwest Polk City Drive

Continue on Northwest Polk City Drive

4.35 mi · 00h 06m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 24m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 48m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+5 mi
10 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Johnston
00h 12m from Polk City
Leave By
7:42 PM CDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms leaving Polk City and Mostly Cloudy near Urbandale.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Polk City to Urbandale?

The road trip is about 15 miles (24.1 km) and usually takes 00h 24m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Johnston is a useful midpoint, sitting about 7.1 miles from Polk City and 7.8 miles from Urbandale.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 10 miles (16.1 km), while the road route adds roughly 5 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM CDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:42 PM CDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $2.00 one way or $4.00 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 4.7 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Chance Showers And Thunderstorms around Polk City and Mostly Cloudy near Urbandale.

Stop Ideas Near Johnston

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Johnston, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Johnston.

RAIL

Osceola

71 mi away
Main & East Clay Streets
RAIL

Creston

88 mi away
Pine and Adams Avenue

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Polk City and Urbandale. Straight-line distance: 10 mi (16.09 km).

Polk City

#1 Polk City

American city in Iowa

Population4,961
Coordinates41.7713800, -93.7130000
Altitude269
CountryUnited States
Urbandale

#2 Urbandale

A city in Polk County, Iowa.

Population44,650
Coordinates41.6266600, -93.7121700
Altitude288
CountryUnited States
Start: North 2nd Street (-93.712974, 41.771363)
End: Maryland Drive (-93.71217, 41.626694)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 24 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 29m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 22m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 17m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 14m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 12m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 11m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.53 gal
2 L · about $2.00
Round trip
$4.00
1.06 gal · 4 L
Estimated CO2
4.7 kg one way
Round trip: 9.4 kg / 21 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.77 $2.00 $4.00
Mid-grade $4.25 $2.25 $4.51
Premium $4.65 $2.47 $4.93
Diesel $5.30 $2.81 $5.62

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Iowa · May 30, 2026

There is no time difference between Polk City and Urbandale. The current time is 18:54:08.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.