Transportation

Airports

Story County is home to the Ames Municipal Airport, which is located on the south side of Ames, just south of U.S. Highway 30. The Des Moines International Airport, which is located on the south side of Des Moines, is 30-60 miles away from Story County, depending on where you are traveling from.

Rail Lines

Story County has three rail lines located inside it borders, all controlled by the Union Pacific Railroad Company and permitting 143 tons gross weight cars and unit trains.

• The line commonly referred to by Union Pacific as the Overland Route runs east to west through Story County on its route from Chicago, Illinois to Oakland, California. The Overland Route routes through the Story County communities of Colo, Nevada, and Ames.
• The line commonly referred to by Union Pacific as the Spine Line runs north to south through Story County on it route from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Kansas City, Missouri. The Spine Line routes through the Story County Communities of McCallsburg, Nevada and Cambridge.
• The third line in Story County, whose origin is in Ames, routes through the Story County communities of Gilbert and Story City.

Highways

Story County is home to the following highways:

• One interstate highway
• Three U.S. highways
• Two state highways
• 15 county highways

Interstate Highway 35 is the main four-lane thoroughfare in the county, stretching north to south through the communities of Story City, Ames, and Huxley.

U.S. Highway 30 is a four-lane highway in the county, which stretches east to west through Colo, Nevada, and Ames.

U.S. Highway 65 is a two-lane highway stretching north to south through Zearing, Colo, and Collins, and U.S. Highway 69 is a two-lane highway stretching north to south through Story City, Ames, and Huxley.

Story County’s traffic network allows for no more than an 11-mile drive from any four-lane highway to any one of its communities via a hard surfaced U.S., state, or county highway.