BlaakLane.com offers chauffeur service in Des Moines for Des Moines International Airport (DSM) transfers, downtown insurance and finance offices, the Iowa Events Center, the Iowa State Fair in August and one-way trips to Ames, Iowa City, Omaha or Minneapolis. You see a fixed fare before you confirm. A vetted local affiliate drives the trip, and the confirmation names the operator and chauffeur.
Reserving a car in Des Moines
Book on this page or at /book/ with a flight number or address, a destination and a pickup time. Choose the vehicle and the engine shows the full fare: chauffeur, fuel and included waiting, with no meter running. The BlaakLane.com desk in Toronto answers 24/7 and dispatches the job to a vetted Des Moines operator contracted to our written standard. Board meetings with several executives, campaign-season press and staff movements, and wedding transport for venues in the countryside around the city are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing.
Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
DSM is close in, about 5 miles south of downtown, and the drive to the Court Avenue district or the East Village normally takes 10 to 15 minutes by Fleur Drive or I-235. West Des Moines and Jordan Creek are 15 to 20 minutes away, and Ankeny about 25. The airport is replacing its 1948-era terminal with a new, larger building under the LiftDSM programme, so walkways and pickup points may shift as each phase opens. Pre-arranged cars pick up at the terminal's lower level, in the area the airport designates for ground transportation. Your chauffeur messages the car and exact spot after landing. Updates are posted by Des Moines International Airport.
If you want to be greeted inside at baggage claim with a name board, add meet and greet at booking; add-ons are only available in selected locations.
All flights are tracked, and waiting starts from the actual landing: 30 minutes included on domestic flights, 60 on international arrivals, 15 on hotel or office pickups, then 15-minute blocks. Business jets use the general aviation facilities on the airfield; send the tail number and the chauffeur meets the aircraft under the handler's rules.
Where travellers go in Des Moines
- Downtown and the Skywalk: Des Moines has an enclosed Skywalk system linking many downtown buildings, so pickups often use a street door beside a Skywalk entrance. The major insurance and financial-services headquarters are here.
- East Village: the neighbourhood below the gold-domed Iowa State Capitol, with boutiques and restaurants.
- Court Avenue and the Western Gateway: the entertainment district, the Pappajohn Sculpture Park and the central library.
- Sherman Hill and Ingersoll Avenue: historic homes and neighbourhood dining west of downtown.
- Drake and Beaverdale: Drake University and its stadium.
- West Des Moines: Valley Junction, Jordan Creek Town Center and many regional office parks.
- Ankeny and Johnston: fast-growing suburbs to the north with agricultural and technology employers.
Hotels and venues
The Iowa Events Center, with Wells Fargo Arena, Hy-Vee Hall and the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, is on the west side of downtown, and the Hilton Des Moines Downtown connects to it. Other frequent pickups are the Renaissance Savery, the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, Hotel Fort Des Moines and the Surety Hotel. Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs, sits where the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers meet. The Iowa State Fairgrounds lie on the east side of the city, about 10 minutes from downtown on I-235 and East University Avenue.
What is the busiest time for Des Moines chauffeur bookings?
The Iowa State Fair, usually eleven days in mid-August, is the peak. It draws more than a million visitors, and East University Avenue and the fairground approaches back up for much of the day. We use an agreed drop point near a gate and a fixed return time. Check dates with the Iowa State Fair. The rest of the calendar:
- Late April: the Drake Relays, the track and field meet at Drake Stadium.
- May to October: the Downtown Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings, which closes streets in the Court Avenue area.
- June: the Principal Charity Classic golf tournament in the Des Moines area.
- Mid-October: the World Food Prize laureate ceremony at the State Capitol and the Borlaug Dialogue, which bring international delegations; see the World Food Prize.
- Election cycles: the Iowa caucuses and the campaign visits before them bring waves of staff, media and security details.
For large groups, event transportation describes how we plan arrivals and departures, and delegations are covered by government and diplomatic transport. Tourism information is on Catch Des Moines.
Vehicles for Des Moines
| Party | Recommended class |
|---|---|
| One or two passengers | Standard Sedan |
| Senior executive or client | Luxury Executive Sedan |
| Three passengers, winter weather | Executive SUV |
| Six to fourteen passengers | Standard Black SUV or Sprinter Van |
| Wedding or prom party | Stretch limousine (partner) |
| Conference or fair group | Minicoach or motorcoach |
Details for each class are on the fleet. Every vehicle is four model years old or younger. Rates explains what a fare covers.
Routes to nearby cities
- Ames: about 30 miles north on I-35, 35 to 40 minutes, for Iowa State University.
- Iowa City: about 115 miles east on I-80, around 1 hour 45 minutes, for the University of Iowa.
- Omaha: about 135 miles west on I-80, around 2 hours. See Omaha.
- Kansas City: about 195 miles south on I-35, roughly 3 hours. See Kansas City.
- Minneapolis: about 245 miles north on I-35, 3.5 to 4 hours. See Minneapolis.
- Chicago: about 330 miles on I-80, 5 to 5.5 hours. See Chicago.
Longer drives are priced as one-way intercity transfers.
Getting to and around Des Moines without a plane
Des Moines has no passenger rail station. The nearest Amtrak stop is Osceola, about 45 miles south, on the California Zephyr between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area; timetables are on Amtrak. A chauffeur can meet the train there and drive you into the city in roughly 45 to 55 minutes. Iowa has no toll roads. The city runs on Central time and traffic drives on the right. I-235 is the main east-west route through the city and its busiest road at rush hours. Winters bring snow and wind-driven drifts across open country, particularly on I-35 and I-80, and summer storms can be severe.
Who uses BlaakLane.com in Des Moines
Insurance and financial-services executives, auditors and consultants, agricultural-business visitors, political staff and journalists, families at university events, and wedding parties. Child seats are free on request. Frequent travellers can set up corporate accounts with monthly invoicing, or use our executive chauffeur service.
Cancellation
Cancellations made more than 72 hours ahead are free. Within 72 hours the charge is 10%; within 48 hours, 50%; within 24 hours, or on a no-show, 100%.
