I-35 Through Ankeny: Exits 89 to 96, Towing and Roadside Help
On I-35 through Ankeny, from the East Mixmaster up to the Polk City and Elkhart exit, Des Moines Roadside Rescue tows from $124 and answers (515) 585-8351 24/7. Give us the exit number or the mile marker and your direction.
Answered day and night, 24/7. Hear the price and the timing, say yes, and help is dispatched.
Tell us the road, the nearest exit or mile marker, or the cross street where you stopped.
Each price is a starting price. Availability, late hours, the distance, the weather and the vehicle can raise it. You get the final number on the call, before anything is set in motion.
Prices updated November 2026.
Key takeaways
- A tow from the I-35 shoulder between the East Mixmaster and Elkhart starts from $124.
- Exit 92, 1st Street, is Ankeny's diverging diamond on I-35.
- The NE 36th Street ramp onto northbound I-35 was set to reopen in late November 2026.
- North of exit 96, the green mile marker posts are the clearest way to say where you are.
I-35 exits 89 to 96 through Ankeny
Northbound I-35 leaves I-80 at exit 137, the East Mixmaster, which the I-80 exit list places in Ankeny. From there north, the I-35 exits are:
- Exit 89: Corporate Woods Drive.
- Exit 90: Iowa 160 (Oralabor Road), toward Bondurant, with access to Saylorville Lake and DMACC.
- Exit 92: 1st Street, a diverging diamond.
- Exit 94: NE 36th Street.
- Exit 96: Polk City and Elkhart.
At the 1st Street diamond, traffic on the bridge runs on the opposite side of the road from usual. If the car dies there, stay put with the hazards on and say exit 92. For the Ankeny streets on either side of the interstate, see the Ankeny town page.
I-35 rest areas near Elkhart
Past exit 96, Iowa DOT rest areas sit on I-35 at mile 99 northbound and mile 100 southbound near Elkhart, in Polk County. Each has 40 car and 22 truck spaces, Wi-Fi, vending and a public phone. If the car is limping but still moving, they are a place to wait off the main lanes.
Stopped on the I-35 shoulder north of Ankeny
Between exit 96 and the Elkhart rest areas, the green mile marker posts are the clearest way to say where you are. Read the post nearest the car and add northbound or southbound. Say whether you are on the right shoulder, against the median or on a ramp. Keep everyone buckled in on the side away from the lanes; nobody should stand between the car and passing traffic. A crash, an injury or a car left sitting in a lane goes to 911 first.
I-35 widening from Ankeny to Huxley and the exit 94 ramp
Iowa DOT is rebuilding I-35 from the 36th Street interchange in Ankeny to the 315th Street bridge near Huxley. The project widens nine miles from four lanes to six, with five new bridges and two new interchanges, at a cost of $163.6 million. In 2026 crews are building new northbound lanes for the whole length.
The northbound entrance ramp at NE 36th Street (exit 94) closed on April 14, 2026. Iowa DOT set it to stay closed until late November 2026, when northbound traffic moves back onto the new pavement. Its marked detour runs south on I-35 to the East 1st Street interchange (exit 92), turns around there and takes the exit 92 ramp back north. In the work zone, if the car still moves, get to the next exit or rest area before you stop rather than waiting on a narrowed shoulder.
I-35 traffic and storm closures near Des Moines
I-35 through the Des Moines area, mile 65 to 101.7, averages about 52,900 vehicles a day. Segments range from about 15,000 to 100,400, and about 17% of the traffic is trucks (Iowa DOT 2025 traffic counts).
On March 15, 2026, I-35 was closed from US 30 at Ames to the Minnesota line. Iowa officials urged I-35 travelers and truckers to seek shelter and parking in the greater Des Moines area, because facilities near Ames fill quickly. When I-35 north of Ames closes, stop in the metro rather than pushing on.
If you stop on I-35
- Read off the last exit number you passed, or the nearest mile marker post.
- Pull fully onto the right shoulder, turn the hazards on and stay inside with your belt fastened.
- Call 911 first if anyone is hurt; otherwise call us with the exit or mile marker and your direction.
Tow, jump start and fuel prices on I-35 by Ankeny
A tow from the I-35 shoulder anywhere between the East Mixmaster and the Elkhart rest areas starts from $124. A jump start at the Oralabor Road exit is from $85. A spare-tire change on the NE 36th Street ramp is from $98, and fuel delivery from $85 plus the fuel. A winch-out from $129 frees a car that slid into the median. A long tow, a big vehicle or crash work raises the price.
Call (515) 585-8351 with the exit or the mile marker and your direction. The full amount and the timing come on that call, and help is sent once you agree.
Questions
Which I-35 exit in Ankeny is the diverging diamond?
Exit 92, 1st Street, is the diverging diamond on I-35 in Ankeny. Exit 90 is Iowa 160 (Oralabor Road), and exit 94 is NE 36th Street. If you stall on or near the 1st Street diamond, stay in the car with the hazards on and call (515) 585-8351 for a tow.
Is the NE 36th Street ramp onto northbound I-35 open?
It is due to reopen in late November 2026. Iowa DOT closed the northbound entrance ramp at exit 94 in Ankeny on April 14, 2026, until northbound traffic moves back onto the new pavement. The detour runs south to East 1st Street (exit 92) and back north. A tow from that detour starts from $124.
Where can I wait off I-35 north of Ankeny?
Wait at the Iowa DOT rest areas near Elkhart, at mile 99 northbound and mile 100 southbound. Each has 40 car and 22 truck spaces, vending and a public phone. From there we can jump the battery, change a flat or tow the car back toward Ankeny.
What should I tell you if I stop on I-35 between exits?
Give us the nearest mile marker post or the last exit number, northbound or southbound, and whether the car sits on the right shoulder or against the median. Stay belted in while you wait, and dial 911 first after a crash. Then call (515) 585-8351 for a tow or roadside help on I-35.