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How to get fromIowa to Madisonby bus (Flixbus, Greyhound), car, plane, bus, bus (Greyhound), or train

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There are 6 ways to get from Iowa to Madison by bus (Flixbus, Greyhound), car, plane, bus, bus (Greyhound), or train

Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.

  1. Bus via Saint Paul

    best
    1. Take the bus from Des Moines to St. Paulbus bus Jefferson 802
    2. Take the bus from Saint Paul Union Depot to Madisonbus bus FlixBus 2548
    10h 50m
    $104–180

  2. Drive 274.9 mi

    cheapest
    1. Drive from Des Moines to Madisoncar car 274.9 mi
    5h 5m
    $51–73

  3. Fly from Quad City International Airport, bus

    1. Fly from Quad City International Airport (MLI) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)plane plane MLI - ORD
    2. Take the bus from Multi-Modal/Rental Car Facility to 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campusbus bus
    7h 29m
    $52–317

  4. Bus

    1. Take the bus from Des Moines to Chicago Bus Stationbus bus Greyhound US0123S / ...
    2. Take the bus from W Jackson Blvd, after S Clinton St to 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campusbus bus Van Galder
    11h 56m
    $79–165

  5. Bus, train

    1. Take the bus from Des Moines to Galesburgbus bus
    2. Take the train from Galesburg Amtrak Station to Chicago Union Stationtrain train
    3. Take the train from Chicago Union Station to Milwaukeetrain train
    4. Take the bus from Milwaukee, WI - Amtrak to Madison, WI-Lake St.bus bus
    13h 49m
    $118–248

  6. Bus to The Eastern Iowa Airport, fly, bus

    1. Take the bus from Court St Transportation Center to GTC Bay 9bus bus
    2. Fly from The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)plane plane CID - ORD
    3. Take the bus from Multi-Modal/Rental Car Facility to 250 N. Lake St - Madison UW Campusbus bus
    8h 36m

Quad City International Airport (MLI) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) flights

Calendar84Weekly Planes
Duration1h 17mAverage Duration
Ticket$26Cheapest Price
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Questions & Answers

Map of how to get from Iowa to Madison.ExpandLaunch map view
  • Distance: 521.7 mi
  • Duration: 10h 50m

What companies run services between Iowa, USA and Madison, WI, USA?

You can take a vehicle from Des Moines to Madison via Des Moines, St. Paul, and Saint Paul Union Depot in around 10h 50m.

Airlines
Train operators
Bus operators

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