The Ankeny Brief
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.
The Ankeny Express (DART Route 98) was discontinued in DART's June 2026 network redesign, which ended all express routes and rebuilt the local network. For years it had run weekday rush-hour buses between Ankeny and downtown Des Moines, with a park-and-ride near DMACC. 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, car-free trips from Ankeny into Des Moines mean piecing together DART On Demand connections to the wider regional network, rideshare, or, 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.
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