Kansas City to Des Moines drive: Distance, time & best stops

The distance from Kansas City to Des Moines by car is 193 miles, with a 2h49m driving time. The best road trip stops to add to the Kansas City to Des Moines drive are Crowder State Park, Nine Eagles State Park and Winterset IA.

Planning a Kansas City to Des Moines road trip itinerary

The Kansas City to Des Moines drive takes you from the Missouri River to the capital of Iowa.

Technically two cities spread over two different states, Kansas City has a rich cultural heritage. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and American Jazz Museum show this off. Other top attractions include the National World I Memorial and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Good experiences in Kansas City include an indulgent food tour of the city’s best BBQ joints, Segway tours, the Sealife Aquarium and wine-tasting trips.

Memorable Kansas City accommodation includes the colonial-style Truitt Hotel and the stylish, art-filled 21C Museum Hotel.

Good things to do in Des Moines include the Adventureland Resort theme park, the Science Center of Iowa and the Pappajohn Sculpture Park.

Also worth a look are the Iowa State Capital, Des Moines Art Center and Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.

For Des Moines accommodation with great reviews, try the Hotel Fort and the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel.

Kansas City to Des Moines distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Kansas City to Des Moines is 193 miles. That makes for a driving time of around two hours and 49 minutes. The quickest route is up the I-35.

The best stops to add to a Kansas City to Des Moines road trip itinerary are Crowder State Park, Nine Eagles State Park and Winterset IA.

Kansas City to Des Moines drive: Crowder State Park

Crowder State Park is a gentle spot in northern Missouri, where the leaves change colour in the fall. You can, if you wish, use it for hiking. The park has more than 17 miles of trails through the forest. There’s also a campground here, while you can hire kayaks and canoes from the park office during opening hours. There are also three playgrounds within the park.

Kansas City to Des Moines road trip attractions: Nine Eagles State Park

Nine Eagles State Park in southern Iowa has nine miles of hiking trails, which are good for spotting native plants, birds and other wildlife. On the lake, you can go fishing for bass and channel catfish, while overnight visitors have three campgrounds to choose from. Come in summer, however, and it’s likely to be the swimming beach that holds the most appeal.

Best stops between Kansas City and Des Moines: Winterset IA

Winterset, Iowa, is best known as the birthplace of John Wayne. A short detour south of the I-80 will bring you to the John Wayne Birthplace Museum, which celebrates America’s most famous movie cowboy. It is stuffed full of Wayne Memorabilia.

Between the town and the highway, there are a couple of places to try Iowa-made drinks. The Covered Bridges Winery and Winterset Cidery are open to visitors for tastings.

You can also do Bridges of Madison County tours here.