The Ankeny Brief
Ankeny is a car-oriented suburb, but it does have public transit through DART, and the options changed a lot in 2026. Here's the current picture: what DART runs in Ankeny now, what happened to the old commuter bus, and the realistic car-free ways to get around town and into Des Moines.
Ankeny is served by DART (Des Moines Area Regional Transit). The main option now is DART On Demand, a microtransit service that gives point-to-point shared rides within an Ankeny zone, booked like a rideshare. The old fixed-route Ankeny Express commuter bus was discontinued in DART's June 2026 network redesign. Check ridedart.com for the current zone, hours, and fares, since the network recently changed.
The main public-transit option in Ankeny today is DART On Demand, DART's microtransit service. Instead of a fixed bus route and schedule, you book a shared ride point-to-point within a designated Ankeny zone, similar to using a rideshare app, and it takes you where you need to go inside that zone. It's designed to fit a spread-out suburb better than a traditional bus line. Because DART just redrew its network, confirm the current zone boundaries, hours, and fare at ridedart.com before you rely on it.
For years, the Ankeny Express (DART Route 98) ran weekday rush-hour buses between Ankeny and downtown Des Moines, with a park-and-ride near DMACC. As part of DART's 2026 network redesign, all express routes were discontinued in June 2026, and the local route network was rebuilt. So if you remember the old Ankeny Express commuter bus, it is no longer running. DART On Demand and the redesigned regional network replaced it.
With the express bus gone, getting car-free from Ankeny into Des Moines is harder than it was, so plan ahead. Options include DART On Demand connections to the wider regional network, rideshare, and, for the fit and weather-willing, the paved trail system: the Neal Smith Trail links Ankeny toward Des Moines entirely off-road. For the driving picture, times, and routes, see our Ankeny to Des Moines commute guide.
Honestly, Ankeny is built around the car. The most walkable pockets are Prairie Trail and The District and historic Uptown, where you can live close to shops and restaurants. Elsewhere, most errands assume a vehicle, and DART On Demand fills the gaps rather than replacing a car. If car-free living is a priority, weigh that carefully. Our moving to Ankeny guide has the fuller picture.
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Yes, through DART, mainly its DART On Demand microtransit, which gives point-to-point shared rides within an Ankeny zone. Check ridedart.com for current details.
It's DART's microtransit: you book a shared point-to-point ride within a designated zone, like a rideshare app, rather than riding a fixed bus route. Ankeny has a zone.
The Ankeny Express commuter bus ended in DART's June 2026 redesign, so that direct route no longer runs. DART On Demand and the redesigned network are the current options; check ridedart.com.
Mostly it's car-oriented. Prairie Trail, The District, and Uptown are the walkable pockets; elsewhere you'll want a car, with DART On Demand filling gaps.