College Visit Guides

Drive guide · 3 days, 3 campuses

Iowa State, Northern Iowa and Drake in 3 Days: An Iowa College Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing Iowa State, the University of Northern Iowa and Drake in three days: Iowa State's Daily Campus Visit in Ames on day 1, a round trip to UNI in Cedar Falls on day 2, and a Drake Personalized Visit in Des Moines on day 3 before flying home from DSM. Official visit sign-ups, parking at each school, one hotel base in Ames, Reiman Gardens and the Pappajohn Sculpture Park for siblings, and central Iowa weather by season.

Iowa State's red-brick Campanile clock tower rising above a green lawn and tall trees under dark, stormy clouds
The Campanile, Iowa State University, Ames (Aug 2019). Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

Schools
Iowa State University (Ames, IA) · University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, IA) · Drake University (Des Moines, IA)
Days
3: Iowa State on day 1, UNI on day 2, Drake on day 3. Arrive the evening before.
Fly into
Des Moines International Airport (DSM), about 53 minutes from the Ames hotel and 13 minutes from Drake with no traffic.
Best base
Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames: about 7 minutes by car to Iowa State's Memorial Union, 1 hour 53 minutes to UNI and 46 minutes to Drake.
Car or transit
Rent a car at DSM. All three schools give visitors parking, and day 2 is a long round-trip drive to Cedar Falls.
Registration
All three schools take visit sign-ups online: Iowa State's visit scheduler, UNI's freshman visit calendar and Drake's Personalized Visit portal.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare three very different Iowa schools: Iowa State University in Ames, the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and Drake University in Des Moines.

Ames sits in the middle, about 46 minutes north of Drake and 53 minutes from the Des Moines airport with no traffic, so one hotel works for all three nights. The trade-off is day 2: UNI is about 1 hour 53 minutes each way from Ames.

Why this order

  • Day 1: Iowa State's Daily Campus Visit includes a Preview of Iowa State presentation, a campus walking tour, a housing tour and an academic information session. It runs most weekdays during the academic year and summer.
  • Day 2: UNI's Daily Visit is built around your student and may include an admissions and scholarships presentation, a campus and residence hall tour and a meal at a campus dining center.
  • Day 3: Drake's weekday Personalized Visit lets you pick a date and time and build your own day, with separate sign-ups for sophomores and juniors and for seniors.
  • Iowa State asks you to register at least five business days ahead, and each prospective student registers individually.
Three campuses, three places to park
  • Iowa State: park in the Memorial Union Parking Ramp at Lincoln Way and Lynn Avenue, where the visit takes place.
  • UNI: for a Daily Visit, park outside the Admissions Welcome Center (2601 Campus Street) with the parking pass from your confirmation email. Panther Visit Days use the Applied Engineering Lot (2900 Campus Street) instead.
  • Drake: individual weekday visits get reserved parking in Lot 16 at the Olmsted Center (2875 University Ave.), just east of Aliber Hall.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Dress for the weather on the walking tours: January at the Des Moines airport averages highs of about 31°F, lows near 14°F and about 9 inches of snow. UNI emails and texts visitors if weather cancels visits.
  • Reiman Gardens closes on Iowa State home football game days, so check its closing dates before planning a fall Saturday around it.

2. The suggested 3-day plan

  • Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Allow extra time at rush hour and in winter weather.

Arrival evening: fly into Des Moines and drive to Ames

  1. Des Moines International Airport (DSM) → Gateway Hotel and Conference Center (2100 Green Hills Dr., Ames)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~53 min, 39.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rent a car at DSM; Iowa State notes car rentals at the airport
  • Iowa State points visitors to Des Moines International Airport as the nearest major airport. Ames sits on I-35, about 25 miles north of where it meets I-80.

Day 1: Iowa State University, then Reiman Gardens

  1. Gateway Hotel and Conference Center → Memorial Union Parking Ramp (Lincoln Way and Lynn Ave., Ames)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~7 min, 2.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Car recommended; about a 46-minute walk

  2. Memorial Union → Reiman Gardens (1407 University Blvd., Ames)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~4 min, 1.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~28 min walk, 1.3 mi
  • Book the Daily Campus Visit on Iowa State's visit scheduler. You can customize it with options such as Honors, Study Abroad or Women in Science and Engineering.
  • From Lincoln Way, turn north just after the Ash Avenue signal to reach the ramp's south entrance, or come in from Lynn Avenue.

Day 2: University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, then back to Ames

  1. Gateway Hotel and Conference Center → UNI Admissions Welcome Center (2601 Campus St., Cedar Falls)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 53 min, 95.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Car required

  2. UNI → Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, Ames

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 52 min, 95.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Car required
  • Pick a Daily Visit date on UNI's freshman visit page. If you're not sure which visit fits, UNI suggests contacting visit@uni.edu or 319-273-2295.
  • UNI asks visitors to wear comfortable walking shoes. Plan on nearly four hours of round-trip driving, so an earlier start helps.

Day 3: Drake University in Des Moines, then fly home from DSM

  1. Gateway Hotel and Conference Center → Drake Lot 16, Olmsted Center (2875 University Ave., Des Moines)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~46 min, 36.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Car recommended; reserved parking for individual visits

  2. Olmsted Center → Cole Hall, Office of Admission (2509 University Ave.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    Walk
    Driving
    ~5 min walk, 0.3 mi

  3. Drake University → Des Moines International Airport (DSM)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~13 min, 5.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Car recommended
  • Book a Personalized Visit through Drake's visit portal, using the sophomore and junior or the senior sign-up. On select Fridays, Fridays with Griff pairs a student-led tour and admission overview with a chance to meet Griff, Drake's live bulldog mascot.
  • From I-235, Drake says to take Exit 6 (31st Street), head north about half a mile and turn right on University Avenue. Check out of the hotel before you go and head to DSM straight from campus.

3. Campus by campus

Iowa State's red-brick Campanile clock tower rising above a green lawn and tall trees under dark, stormy clouds
The Campanile, Iowa State University, Ames (Aug 2019). Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Iowa State University (Ames, IA)

Where visits start
  • The Daily Campus Visit combines a Preview of Iowa State presentation, a campus walking tour, a housing tour and an academic information session. It runs most Monday through Friday dates in the academic year and summer.
  • Register at least five business days ahead; each prospective student registers individually. Experience Iowa State adds conversations with current students and interest sessions.
Visitor parking
  • Visitors park in the Memorial Union Parking Ramp at Lincoln Way and Lynn Avenue, where the visit takes place. Use the south entrance off Lincoln Way, turning north right after the Ash Avenue signal, or enter from Lynn Avenue.
Getting there
  • Plan to drive. Iowa State's directions start from I-35, which runs through Ames, and Des Moines International Airport, the nearest major airport, has car rentals.
What to know
  • Reiman Gardens, which admits Iowa State students free and has a Butterfly Wing, is about 4 minutes by car from the Memorial Union.
Contact
Iowa State University Office of Admissions, Ames, IA; 515-294-5836, admissions@iastate.edu.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Iowa State: Daily Campus Visit · Iowa State: Parking and directions · Iowa State: Experience Iowa State

A wide plaza and tree-lined lawn at the University of Northern Iowa leading to the brick Campanile, with an American flag on the left under a blue sky
Hibbs Memorial and the Campanile, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls (Sep 2013). Photo: Feddacheenee · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, IA)

Where visits start
  • UNI's Daily Visit is individualized and may include an admissions and scholarships presentation, a campus and residence hall tour and a meal at a dining center. Panther Visit Days are full-day events with an academic session, a student panel and a browsing fair.
  • Register by choosing a date on UNI's freshman visit page. School groups book a separate group visit.
Visitor parking
  • For a Daily Visit, park outside the Admissions Welcome Center (2601 Campus Street) and display the pass from your confirmation email; the front desk has spares.
  • For Panther Visit Days, park in the Applied Engineering Lot (2900 Campus Street), where no pass is needed. It's about a 10-minute walk to Maucker Union.
Getting there
  • Plan to drive: UNI is about 1 hour 53 minutes from the Ames hotel with no traffic. UNI points visitors who want to stay nearby to Cedar Falls Tourism and Waterloo Tourism for hotels.
What to know
  • Wear comfortable walking shoes for the tour, and watch your email and texts if the weather turns, since UNI notifies visitors when weather cancels visits.
Contact
UNI Office of Admissions, 002 Gilchrist Hall, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0018; 319-273-2281, admissions@uni.edu; Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: UNI: Visit options · UNI: Visitor information and parking

A bronze bulldog statue on a brick pedestal with the Drake University seal in front of Old Main, a red-brick building with a tall spire, under a deep blue sky
Old Main and the Griff statue, Drake University, Des Moines (Oct 2025). Photo: Docccc · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Drake University (Des Moines, IA)

Where visits start
  • Drake's Personalized Visit runs on weekdays: choose your date and time and build your own day. Sophomores and juniors and seniors each have their own sign-up.
  • On select Fridays, Fridays with Griff offers a student-led campus tour and admission overview, plus a chance to meet Griff, the live bulldog mascot. Drake also lists fall Saturday visits, a Campus Preview Day and self-guided and virtual tours.
Visitor parking
  • Individual visits Monday through Friday get reserved parking in Lot 16 at the Olmsted Center (2875 University Ave.), just east of Aliber Hall. Cole Hall, home of the Office of Admission, is a short walk east at 2509 University Ave.
Getting there
  • Drake is about 13 minutes from DSM and 46 minutes from the Ames hotel with no traffic. From I-235, take Exit 6 (31st Street), go north half a mile and turn right on University Avenue.
What to know
  • The Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines is about 6 minutes by car from Drake, an easy stop before an evening flight.
Contact
Drake University Office of Admission, Cole Hall, 2507 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50311-4505; 515-271-3181, admission@drake.edu; Campus Visits: 515-271-4139, campusvisit@drake.edu.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Drake: Personalized Visit for seniors · Drake: Fridays with Griff · Drake: All visit options · Drake: Directions and parking

4. Where to stay: three nights in Ames, with a downtown Des Moines option

Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Hotel · Our pickMid-range

Gateway Hotel and Conference Center

2100 Green Hills Dr., Ames, IA

Why here

  • It's on the south side of Ames, about 7 minutes by car from Iowa State's Memorial Union, 46 minutes from Drake and 53 minutes from DSM with no traffic, which makes it a central base for all three days.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Expedia's listing shows free self parking and an indoor pool. Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Comfort Inn & Suites Ames near ISU Campus

603 S. 16th St., Ames, IA

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's about 7 minutes by car from the Memorial Union, 45 minutes from Drake and 5 minutes from the Gateway with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia's listing shows free breakfast, free parking and an indoor pool. Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

Surety Hotel, Autograph Collection

206 6th Ave., Des Moines, IA

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's in downtown Des Moines, about 6 minutes by car from Drake and 10 minutes from DSM, but 48 minutes from Iowa State. It works best for the last night if you fly out the morning after your Drake visit.

Good to know

  • Expedia's listing notes valet parking for a surcharge. Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Three nights in Ames keep day 1 short and split the long drives: about 1 hour 53 minutes each way to UNI on day 2, then 46 minutes to Drake on day 3, which is 13 minutes from DSM. If your flight home is the next morning, move to downtown Des Moines for a fourth night.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

At Iowa State

Iowa State's Daily Campus Visit takes place at the Memorial Union, on Lincoln Way, so you're already in the middle of campus at lunchtime.

At UNI

UNI's Daily Visit may include a meal at one of its campus dining centers, so ask about it when you register.

Near Drake

Drake's admission office sits on University Avenue, and downtown Des Moines, home of the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, is about 6 minutes away by car.

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Reiman Gardens

1407 University Blvd., Ames, IA

This Ames garden, with a Butterfly Wing, is open daily and free for Iowa State students. It closes on home football game days and some holidays, and it's about 3 minutes by car from the Gateway; check the gardens' page for admission prices.

Official page →

With siblings

John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park

1330 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA

Dozens of monumental sculptures on 4.4 acres in downtown Des Moines, open sunrise to midnight with metered street parking around the park. It's about 6 minutes by car from Drake.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • Iowa State: Memorial Union Parking Ramp. UNI: outside the Admissions Welcome Center with your emailed pass. Drake: reserved spots in Lot 16 at the Olmsted Center.
  • Day 2 is nearly four hours of round-trip driving between Ames and Cedar Falls, so fill the tank the night before and leave early.

Flying in and out

  • DSM is about 53 minutes from the Gateway in Ames and 13 minutes from Drake with no traffic, so fly in the evening before day 1 and out after your Drake visit on day 3.
  • Iowa State names Des Moines International as the nearest major airport and notes car rentals there.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Des Moines International Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 62°F highs and 41°F lows, with about 4.0 inches of precipitation.
  • Summer: July averages about 86°F highs and 66°F lows, with about 3.8 inches of rain.
  • Fall: October averages about 63°F highs and 43°F lows, with about 2.8 inches of precipitation.
  • Winter: January averages about 31°F highs and 14°F lows, with about 1.1 inches of precipitation and 9 inches of snow.

Parent checklist

  • Register for all three visits online at least a week out: Iowa State's Daily Campus Visit (five business days' notice), a UNI Daily Visit and a Drake Personalized Visit.
  • Save UNI's parking pass from your confirmation email for the Admissions Welcome Center lot.
  • Book three nights in Ames and a rental car at DSM.
  • Pack comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather, especially from November through March.
  • After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.

8. Student-athlete recruiting visits

For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.

Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.

Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.

3 Division I

NCAA basics for parents

  • Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
  • Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
  • Division I (Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa and Drake University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
  • Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.

Planning around the season

  • Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
  • Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.

Student-athlete sources

All checked Oct 26, 2026.

  1. NCAA, 2026-27 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (pp. 3, 21–25)
  2. NCAA.org: NCAA Recruiting
  3. NCAA: Division I and II Recruiting Calendars and Guides
  4. NCAA Directory: Iowa State University
  5. Iowa State University Athletics (official site)
  6. Iowa State University Athletics: Compliance
  7. Iowa State University Athletics: Staff Directory
  8. Iowa State University Athletics: schedule of events
  9. NCAA Directory: University of Northern Iowa
  10. University of Northern Iowa Athletics (official site)
  11. University of Northern Iowa Athletics: Compliance
  12. University of Northern Iowa Athletics: Staff Directory
  13. University of Northern Iowa Athletics: schedule of events
  14. NCAA Directory: Drake University
  15. Drake University Athletics (official site)
  16. Drake University Athletics: Compliance
  17. Drake University Athletics: Staff Directory
  18. Drake University Athletics: schedule of events

Trip planner

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Sources

All checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.

  1. Iowa State University Admissions: Visit Iowa State
  2. Iowa State University Admissions: Daily Campus Visit
  3. Iowa State University Admissions: Schedule your visit (official sign-up)
  4. Iowa State University Admissions: Parking and directions
  5. Iowa State University Admissions: Experience Iowa State
  6. University of Northern Iowa Admissions: Visit options
  7. University of Northern Iowa Admissions: Freshman visits (official sign-up)
  8. University of Northern Iowa Admissions: Visitor information
  9. University of Northern Iowa Admissions: Contact us
  10. Drake University Admission: Visit Drake
  11. Drake University Admission: Personalized Visit for sophomores and juniors (official sign-up)
  12. Drake University Admission: Personalized Visit for seniors (official sign-up)
  13. Drake University Admission: Fridays with Griff
  14. Drake University: Directions and parking
  15. Drake University Admission: Contact
  16. Reiman Gardens: Admission and hours
  17. Des Moines Art Center: John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park
  18. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  19. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  20. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  21. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Des Moines International Airport, IA (USW00014933)
  22. Expedia listing: Gateway Hotel and Conference Center (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Ames-Hotels-Gateway-Hotel-And-Conference-Center.h700084.Hotel-Information)
  23. Expedia listing: Comfort Inn & Suites Ames near ISU Campus (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Ames-Hotels-Comfort-Inn-And-Suites-Ames-Near-ISU-Campus.h32524052.Hotel-Information)
  24. Expedia listing: Surety Hotel, Autograph Collection (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Des-Moines-Hotels-Surety-Hotel.h44914120.Hotel-Information)