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Major city · United States

Ames

Give Ames one full day, two if you want a Cyclones game or Reiman Gardens: it is a college town, not a multi-day base. Sleep downtown or near Campustown.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jan–Feb (cold, snow), game-day weekends if you dislike crowds
Airports
DSM · AMW
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Ames is Iowa State University's town, 30 miles north of Des Moines on I-35. The draw is a walkable Main Street, a 500-acre campus with free museums and Grant Wood murals, and game-day energy in autumn. Two nights covers it; one night works if you are passing through on I-35.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ames, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–6
  • Sit-down mealSteakhouse dinner, main courseAunt Maude's range$25–40
  • Street or quick mealDeli sandwich$9–14
  • BeerDraught beer in a bar$5–8
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry on campusFree; $3 suggested donation at some sites
  • Budget bedHostel or shared dorm bed, a night, per personUS$35
  • Mid-range bedChain hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$130
  • High-end bedChain hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$200

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$130 · High US$220

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Iowa State University campusGrant Wood murals at Parks LibraryReiman GardensISU Cyclones game daysMain Street downtown
Airports
DSM Des Moines International (About 45 min south by car on I-35; no commercial flights into Ames. Scheduled shuttle service runs to Ames (check current timetable).) · AMW Ames Municipal Airport (General aviation and charter only; rental car desk on site.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ames: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−2°C

−12°C

6 rd

Feb

1°C

−10°C

6 rd

Mar

8°C

−4°C

8 rd

Apr

16°C

2°C

10 rd

May

22°C

9°C

11 rd

Jun

27°C

15°C

11 rd

Jul

29°C

17°C

9 rd

Aug

28°C

16°C

9 rd

Sep

24°C

11°C

8 rd

Oct

17°C

4°C

8 rd

Nov

8°C

−3°C

7 rd

Dec

1°C

−9°C

7 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

CyRide buses cover the city, fare $1.25 ($0.60 children/seniors), but weekend and break service is thin. Ames is flat and bike-friendly with a paved trail network. A car helps for Reiman Gardens, Ada Hayden park and the big-box strip on Duff Avenue; downtown, Campustown and campus are walkable from each other in about 20–25 min.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Des Moines

go

Door to door: About 40 min

I-35 south, about 30 miles

State capitol, art centre and East Village; a half-day or a full one.

Boone and Ledges State Park

go

Door to door: About 30–40 min

US 30 west about 20 miles, then south to the park

Scenic railroad in Boone; sandstone bluffs and river trails at Ledges.

Story City

caution

Door to door: About 15 min

I-35 or US 69 north

Antique carousel is the reason to stop; short visit.

Ankeny

skip

Door to door: About 25 min

I-35 south

Suburban shopping; no reason to detour unless you need an outlet.

Newton, Iowa

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

I-80 east then US 6

Raceway and small downtown; pair it with a drive, not a dedicated trip.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown / Main Street

Historic centre, walkable to shops and restaurants; 5–10 min drive to campus.

Campustown (Welch Ave)

Bars, cheap eats and the bus interchange; loud on weekend nights.

I-35 and US 30 interchanges

Chain hotels with free parking; you will need a car for everything.

Somerset (north of campus)

Newer shops and food along Stange Ave; quiet, car-first.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$60–90 excl. bed
Mid
$100–160 excl. bed
High
$180+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Chain hotel double room1 × 2 nights × US$130US$260
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$130US$520
DSM airport shuttle, one way2 × US$40 · checkUS$80
CyRide single fare2 × US$1US$3
Reiman Gardens adult admission2 × US$8US$16
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$91
Trip total≈ US$250 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,000

2026 estimate in US dollars; prices before Iowa sales tax. Flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Deli sandwich$9–14
Pizza, one large$18–28
Steakhouse dinner, main courseAunt Maude's range$25–40
Draught beer in a bar$5–8
Rideshare across town$10–18
Museum entry on campusFree; $3 suggested donation at some sites

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Ames is a low-crime college town; the practical risks are winter ice, weekend bar crowds on Welch Avenue and deer on rural roads at dusk.
  • Winter is the real hazard: ice on pavements and wind chill well below freezing from Dec to Feb.
  • CyRide service drops sharply on weekends and when ISU is out of session: check the timetable before relying on it.
  • Alcohol sales stop at 2AM statewide.
  • Game-day weekends fill every hotel in town and push rates up: book weeks ahead or sleep in Des Moines.
  • Prices in shops and menus are shown before Iowa sales tax.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

AmesAmes

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies or consulates in Ames; national ones are in Washington, DC, and several countries keep consulates in Chicago. Check your own country's list.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • CyRide bus fare: $1.25 adults, $0.60 children and seniors
  • DSM airport to Ames, shuttle: about $40 one way, about 45 min (check)
  • Reiman Gardens admission: $8 adults, $7 seniors, $4 children

Say or show

  • Where is the bus stop? — Where is the bus stop?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is this seat taken? — Is this seat taken?
  • How far is campus? — How far is campus?

Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ames. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jan–Feb (cold, snow), game-day weekends if you dislike crowds · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for DSM: shuttle timetables field-checked, taxi and rideshare fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Main Street downtown, Campustown and Welch Ave, central campus, Somerset.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Reiman Gardens, Brunnier and Christian Petersen museums, Farm House, Ames History Center) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Game-day fixtures so arrival gates A–D can go green on football and basketball weekends.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources