Car Rental - Des Moines

 

Car rental in Des Moines makes it easier to fall in love with Iowa’s capital city.

Admire the details in the gold-domed State Capitol building, enjoy impressive art at Pappajohn Sculpture Park, and go boating in Gray’s Lake on a moonlit night. It all becomes closer when you rent a car in Des Moines.

Des Moines is also famous for its powerful political landscape, so visit the State Historical Museum to learn more about Iowa’s rich history. It’s just a 14-minute drive from our Des Moines airport car rental desk.

If you’re itching for more adventure outside Des Moines, car rental opens up the possibilities. Drive 20 minutes to Ankeny to delve into coal mining history.

Des Moines car rental is easy to reserve, with no hidden fees. Choose from SUVs perfect for family vacations or small vehicles for business trips.

Reserve your rental car in Des Moines online with Hertz and experience a city steeped in history. 

Des Moines Locations

A Quick Guide to Des Moines

Terrace Hill Historic Site

Terrace Hill Historic Site

2300 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312

Also known as the Governor’s Mansion, this historic Second Empire-style house was built with features considered modern in the 1860s, such as indoor bathrooms, an elevator, and hot and cold running water. Explore this beautiful mansion on your own or join a guided tour to learn more about Des Moines’ history. With car rental in Des Moines, you can get here from Downtown in less than 10 minutes.

Des Moines Art Center

Des Moines Art Center

4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312

Resting on the banks of the Des Moines River Downtown, this art museum is home to a vast collection of paintings, sculptures, and mixed media. The permanent exhibition features work by American artists Edward Hopper and Andy Warhol, French artist Henri Matisse and Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami to name a few. 

Sleepy Hollow Sports Park

Sleepy Hollow Sports Park

4051 Dean Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317

Located a mile east of the Iowa State Fairgrounds, the Sleepy Hollow Sports Park offers fun activities and festivals throughout the year. Sports activities include skiing, tubing, and sledding. Some of the exciting festivals held here are the Haunted Scream Park, Summer Scare, and State Fair Camping. Head east of the city for about 10 minutes to get there. Des Moines car rental makes the journey smooth.

Hyatt Place Des Moines Downtown

418 6th Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309

The Hyatt Place’s amenities include an on-site gym and four miles of climate-controlled skywalk connected to event centers, shopping, and restaurants. If you stay here, you’ll be close to the historic Court Avenue District, the State Capitol Building, Pappajohn Sculpture Park, and Principal Park. Reserving car rental for your arrival in Des Moines? It’s just under a 15-minute drive from the airport.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown

101 East Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309

Overlooking the beautiful Des Moines River, Embassy Suites offers 234 suites in an eight-story tropical atrium. It is situated close to the Iowa State Capitol and the Court Avenue Entertainment District. The Principal Riverwalk is on your doorstep, and just a short walk from here is the Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater, where many festivals take place. For your rental car, self-parking is available by the Des Moines riverside for a fee.

Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel

401 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309

Situated in the heart of downtown Des Moines, this hotel is close to several popular attractions, including the Iowa Events Center, the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, and Wells Fargo Arena, in addition to a variety of dining options. Park your Des Moines rental car here and enjoy exploring the local area. 

801 Chophouse

801 Grand Avenue STE 200, Des Moines, IA 50309

Prime beef cuts come with bucketloads of atmosphere at this fine dining steakhouse. This is the original 801 Chophouse, where you can taste Waygu as it was served in 1993. Hop in to fuel up before a car rental tour of Des Moines’ attractions, including the nearby Pappajohn Sculpture Park.

Kathmandu

7229 Apple Valley Drive, Windsor Heights, IA 50324

Fancy a hearty South Asian lunch? From lamb tikka to shrimp biryani, you’re spoiled for choice of Nepalese and Indian delicacies. The level of spice at Kathamandu is up to you, which includes burn-your-nose spicy. Best of all? There’s also a parking lot for your Des Moines rental car.

Harbinger

2724 Ingersoll Ave Des Moines, IA 50312

Made with fresh ingredients, this small-plates restaurant promises creative twists on vegetable-themed East Asian favorites, served in an open-air atmosphere. Creative dishes include the Vietnamese-influenced Late Harvest Carrots and butternut squash koji. 

Driving In and Around Des Moines

  • 4th and Grand Parking (50309) offers over a thousand parking spaces close to dining options in downtown Des Moines. When you rent a car in Des Moines, you can get there in just over 10 minutes.
  • East 2 Street Parking (50309) has over 500 spaces for your Des Moines rental car. It’s situated near the Downtown Farmers’ Market and Rotary Riverwalk Park.
  • State of Iowa Parking Ramp-Public Parking (50309) is within walking distance from the Capitol Building, Brenton Skating Plaza, and Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens. Car rental lets you take off from here to see Des Moines’ riverside parks.
  • Interstate 80 (I-80) bypasses downtown Des Moines, and it’s the longest Interstate Highway in Iowa. With car rental, you can get to Omaha in a little over two hours.
  • Interstate 35 (I-35) connects Des Moines with Kansas City and the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Northwest of Downtown, and it overlaps with I-80.
  • Interstate 235 (I-235) begins at the western intersection of I-35 and I-80 and runs through the center of the Des Moines metropolitan area, crossing over the Des Moines River. Use car rental to swing between business venues and attractions from West Dest Moines to Marquisville.

How to Get From Downtown Des Moines to Ankeny

It takes 18 minutes to drive the 13.5 miles from our downtown Des Moines car rental pick-up to Ankeny.

  • Exit our central Des Moines car rental lot, turning right.
  • Head east on Locust Street towards 5th Avenue.
  • Follow the directions to I-235 East then continue to I-35 North.
  • Take exit 92 for 1st Street and keep left at the fork and merge on to East 1stStreet.
  • Turn left on to Southeast Sharon Drive then right onto 3rd Street.
  • Turn right on to South Ankeny Boulevard then right again on to East 1st Street, and you’ll find yourself in Ankeny.

 

How to Get From Downtown Des Moines to Urbandale

Urbandale is just a 15-minute drive from our car rental center in downtown Des Moines. Just head north on 6th Avenue towards Grand Avenue and take the slip road on to I-235 West. Then take exit 123B to merge on to I-80 East towards I-35 North and take exit 126 for Douglas Avenue towards Urbandale. 

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