The Grimes Brief

Guide · Commute

The Grimes to Des Moines commute, by the numbers.

One of the big reasons people pick Grimes is that you can live in a newer suburb and still be downtown in about the length of a podcast. Here are the real numbers.

The quick answer

Grimes to downtown Des Moines is about 16 miles and roughly a 20-minute drive outside of peak traffic, mainly via Highway 141 and the interstate loop.

The drive

Distance and routes

Distance to downtown DSM~16 mi
Typical drive time~20 min
Main routesHwy 141, I-35/80

Iowa Highway 141 is the main expressway link between Grimes and Des Moines, feeding into the I-35 and I-80 loop that rings the metro. Add a few minutes at rush hour, especially merging onto the interstate.

Heads up

No bus option

Grimes is a drive-to-work town. There is no city bus service, since DART service ended in 2025 (see our transit page), so plan on a car or rideshare for the commute.

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More from The Grimes Brief Moving to Grimes · Transit · All guides
Sources: mapping services for distance and time; Iowa DOT for routes. Drive times vary with traffic and construction. Preview build, September 2026.