The countdown is on – DART will change all bus routes this summer to provide service that runs more often all week long!
Explore the new routes and prepare for the changes you will see in June.
On this page, you’ll find:
- What’s changing
- A map of the new bus network
- A chart comparing the new routes to our current routes
- Turn-by-turn directions for each route
- Information about DART On Demand
- A timeline of when you can view schedules and have DART staff help you plan trips
- Frequently Asked Questions
What's Changing?
All bus routes and schedules will change beginning June 14, 2026.
New Features
- 10 main routes will provide service more often, 7 days a week. Routes will run on the busiest streets of the Des Moines metro and continue to serve many places where DART has local bus routes today.
- Bus routes will be scheduled to meet at DART Central Station, making transferring easier and speeding up trips.
- Some bus stops will move, so we can provide faster, more reliable service. Bus stops will be located about every 3 or 4 blocks on our new routes.
Operating Hours (All Services, including Paratransit)
- Monday – Saturday, 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
- Sunday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Services that will End
- All Express Routes
- Flex Connect
- On Call services
- LINK shuttle in downtown Des Moines
Important: You can continue to use your current bus routes and bus stops through June 13.
What to Expect and When
We know this is a big change. We are committed to providing you with information and helping you plan your trips well before new bus routes begin. Here is what to expect:
- Spring 2026: You can view route schedules for each new route on this webpage by April 30. You will also be able to view a list of bus stops that are staying the same, moving or being removed.
- May 2026: Starting in May, you can attend one of many in-person opportunities to talk directly with DART staff. At these community events, we will help you plan trips and understand the routes, so you feel confident traveling wherever you need to go! Watch for a calendar of events on our website in April. We will also be launching a new version of rideDART.com to make planning your trips and viewing schedules easier.
- June 14, 2026: All new routes and service hours begin. Current Local and Express Routes, Flex Connect, On Call and LINK services will end. DART On Demand Ankeny and DART Paratransit services will continue.
- Fall 2026: New microtransit service will begin in Altoona, Ankeny and Clive-Urbandale.
How Did We Get Here?
Throughout 2025, riders and residents several opportunities to provide input on changes to DART services. More than 1,500 people shared feedback on what they wanted to see in a new bus network, with the majority saying they preferred routes with more frequent service on the busiest corridors in the metro.
Learn more about our process here.
View the Map of DART’s New Bus Network
Below is a map of our new bus network, effective June 14, 2026.
After you look at the map, continue scrolling to see a chart comparing the new routes to our current routes and read or listen to turn-by-turn directions.
Click here to see the map larger.
DMPS Riders: You will still have service in our new network, but many school tripper routes will change for the 2026-2027 school year. We will share new school tripper routes and schedules this summer.
Explore the New Routes and Services
Route 2 – MLK Jr Pkwy
Route 2 will travel between DART Central Station and Polk County River Place on the north side of Des Moines.
How Often: Every 15 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week
Main Streets Served: MLK Jr. Pkwy.
Key Destinations:
- Des Moines Central Library
- Unity Point – Iowa Methodist Hospital
- Oakridge Neighborhood
- Polk County Health Department
- Broadlawns Medical Center
- Hy-Vee Harding Hills
- Polk County River Place
- Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital
Route 3 – University Ave
Route 3 will travel between DART Central Station and Walmart in Windsor Heights. Route 3L will follow the same path as Route 3 but continue on to provide service to several areas of West Des Moines.
How Often:
- 3 and 3L - Every 15 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week between DART Central Station and Walmart in Windsor Heights
- 3L - Every 30 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week between Walmart in Windsor Heights and Walmart in West Des Moines
- University Ave.
- Jordan Creek Pkwy. (3L)
- Mercy One Medical Center
- DMACC Urban Campus
- Primary Healthcare
- Drake University
- Windsor Heights Town Center
- Hy-Vee – Windsor Heights
- Walmart – Windsor Heights
- Valley West Mall (3L)
- Target – Valley West (3L)
- Mercy One West Des Moines Medical Center (3L)
- Methodist West Hospital (3L)
- Jordan Creek Town Center (3L)
- Walmart – West Des Moines (3L)
Route 4 – Crosstown
Route 4 will travel in two directions from DART Central Station, connecting riders from downtown Des Moines to areas of east and north Des Moines, Urbandale, Clive, Windsor Heights and West Des Moines’ Valley Junction neighborhood.
How Often: Every 30 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week.
Main Streets Served:
- E. 14th St. (Des Moines)
- Euclid Ave. (Des Moines)
- Douglas Ave. (Des Moines & Urbandale)
- 86th St. (Clive & Urbandale)
- 8th St. (West Des Moines)
- Grand Ave. (Des Moines & West Des Moines)
- Ingersoll Ave. (Des Moines)
- East Village
- Iowa State Capitol
- East High School
- Grand View University
- Park Fair Mall
- Polk County River Place
- Merle Hay Mall
- Urbandale Library
- Walmart – Windsor Heights
- Valley Junction
- Des Moines Art Center
- Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand
Route 5 – Merle Hay Rd
Route 5 will travel between DART Central Station and Johnston.
How Often: Every 30 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week.
Main Streets Served:
- Ingersoll Ave.
- 42nd St.
- University Ave.
- 30th St.
- Franklin Ave.
- Hickman Rd.
- Merle Hay Rd.
- Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand
- Roosevelt High School and Shops at Roosevelt
- Drake University
- Franklin Avenue Library
- Merle Hay Mall
- Hy-Vee Johnston
- Johnston Library
Route 6 – SE 14th St
Route 6 will travel between DART Central Station and Southridge Mall.
How Often: Every 30 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week.
Main Streets Served:
- Indianola Ave.
- SE 14th St.
- Southgate Shopping Center and Hy-Vee – SE 14th St.
- Walmart – SE 14th St.
- Southridge Mall
Route 7 – SW 9th St
Route 7 will travel between DART Central Station and Southridge Mall.
How Often: Every 30 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week.
Main Streets Served:
- SW 9th St.
- Army Post Rd.
- County Line Rd.
Key Destinations:
- Lincoln High School
- IowaWORKS, DMARC Pantry and other services
- Blank Park Zoo
- Southridge Mall
Route 8 – Watrous Ave
How Often: Every 60 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week.
Main Streets Served:
- Thomas Beck Rd.
- Fleur Dr.
- Watrous Ave.
Key Destinations:
- Southgate Shopping Center and Hy-Vee – SE 14th St.
Route 9 and 9L – 6th Ave
Route 9 will travel between DART Central Station and Park Fair Mall. Route 9L will follow the same path as Route 9 but continue on to provide service to Ankeny.
How Often:
- 9 and 9L - Every 30 minutes, most of the day on weekdays (Route 9 will run every 60 minutes on weekends) between DART Central Station and Park Fair Mall
- 9L - Every 60 minutes, weekdays only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., between Park Fair Mall and Ankeny
- 6th Ave.
- Euclid Ave.
- 2nd Ave. (9L)
- State St. (9L)
- 1st St. (9L)
- Delaware Ave. (9L)
- Oralabor Rd. (9L)
- Mercy One Des Moines Medical Center
- DMACC Urban Campus
- North High School
- Highland Park
- Park Fair Mall
- DMACC Ankeny Campus (9L)
- The District at Prairie Trail & Ankeny Kirkendall Public Library (9L)
- Ankeny Market & Pavilion (9L)
- Albaugh Family Senior Community Center (9L)
- Mercy One North (9L)
- Walmart and Target – Ankeny (9L)
Route 11 – Hubbell Ave
Route 11 will travel between DART Central Station and The Outlets of Des Moines in Altoona.
How Often: Every 30 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week.
Main Streets Served:
- E. University Ave.
- Hubbell Ave.
- Key Destinations:
- Mercy One Des Moines Medical Center
- East High School
- East Side Library
- Walmart – Altoona
- The Outlets of Des Moines
- Mercy One Des Moines Medical Center
- East High School
- East Side Library
- Walmart – Altoona
- The Outlets of Des Moines
Route 12 – Easton Blvd
Route 12 will travel between DART Central Station and Walmart in Altoona.
How Often: Every 30 minutes, most of the day, 7 days a week.
Main Streets Served:
- E. University Ave
- Easton Blvd
- E. 42nd St
- Hubbell Ave
- Mercy One Des Moines Medical Center
- East High School
- Iowa State Fairgrounds
- Walmart - Altoona
Route 20 – Mills Civic Pkwy
Route 20 will provide limited service between Walmart in Windsor Heights and Walmart in West Des Moines.
How Often: 5 trips daily on weekdays (2 trips in the morning and 3 trips in the afternoon)
Main Streets Served:
- Grand Ave. in West Des Moines
- EP True Pkwy
- Mills Civic Pkwy
- Walmart – Windsor Heights
- Hy-Vee – Grand Ave. (West Des Moines)
- West Des Moines Library
- Hy-Vee – Mills Civic Pkwy. (West Des Moines)
- Walmart – West Des Moines
DART On Demand
Three suburban areas will have DART On Demand service beginning in September 2026.
- Altoona
- Ankeny
- Clive and Urbandale
We will share more details about DART On Demand in summer 2026.
Important: DART On Demand in Ankeny will continue to operate as it does today through September.
Compare Your Routes
Several of our new bus routes will have different numbers but continue to travel along the same streets as our current routes, so most riders will still have access to local bus service.
Use this chart to see what routes you could ride in the new network.
| I Currently Ride | Starting June 14, I Could Ride | ||
| Route 1 | → | Route 4 | In the East Village |
| Route 12 | In East Des Moines and Altoona | ||
| Route 3 | → | Route 3 | Along University Avenue to Walmart in Windsor Heights |
| Route 3L | Along University Avenue to Walmart in Windsor Heights and Valley West Mall | ||
| Route 4 | → | Route 4 |
In the East Village (There will be no service on East 14th Street north of Euclid Avenue.) |
| Route 5 | → | Route 5 | This route will travel on similar streets as Route 5 does today. |
| Route 6 | → | Route 6 | This route will travel on similar streets as Route 6 does today. |
| Route 7 | → | Route 7 | This route will travel on similar streets as Route 7 does today. |
| Route 8 | → | Route 8 |
Along Thomas Beck Road and Fleur Drive to Watrous Avenue. (There will be no service on Fleur Drive south of Watrous.) |
| Route 10 | → | Route 11 | Along East University Avenue to Hubbell Avenue |
| Route 12 |
Along East University Avenue to East 33rd Street (There will be no service on East University Avenue east of East 33rd Street.) |
||
| Route 11 | → | Route 4 | Along Ingersoll Avenue and Grand Avenue to Valley Junction |
| Route 13 | → | Route 8 | The route will travel on similar streets as Route 13 does today. |
| Route 14 | → | Route 2 | Along MLK Jr. Parkway |
| Route 5 |
Along Merle Hay Road (There will be no service on Urbandale Avenue and Aurora Avenue.) |
||
| Route 15 | → | Route 9 | Along 6th Avenue |
| Route 16 | → | Route 2 | Along MLK Jr. Parkway and Hickman Road to Broadlawns Hospital |
| Route 4 |
Along Doulas Avenue (There will be no service on Lower Beaver Road or Meredith Drive.) |
||
| Route 17 | → | Route 11 | From Downtown Des Moines to Altoona via Hubbell Avenue |
| Route 50 | → | Route 4 |
Along Euclid Avenue and Douglas Avenue between Merle Hay Road and East 14th Street (There will be no service on East Euclid Avenue to East 29th Street.) |
| Route 52 | → | Route 3L | From Downtown Des Moines to Jordan Creek Mall and West Des Moines Walmart via University Avenue |
| Route 60 | → | Route 3 | Along University Avenue to 42nd Street |
| Route 4 or 5 | From Downtown Des Moines to Ingersoll Avenue and 42nd Street | ||
| Route 5 | Along 42nd Street | ||
| Route 72 | → | Route 20 | The route will travel on similar streets as Route 72 does today. |
| Route 74 | → | Route 4 |
Along 86th Street and University Boulevard (DART On Demand Clive-Urbandale Coming Fall 2026) |
| Route 92 | → | There will be no DART Service along Hickman Road in Clive. DART On Demand Clive-Urbandale will begin in Fall 2026 | |
| Route 93 | → | Route 4 |
Along 86th Street from University Boulevard to Douglas Avenue. (There will be no service north of Douglas Avenue to Johnston.) |
| Route 94 | → | There will be no comparable DART service. | |
| Route 95 | → | Route 3L | Between 60th Street and Vista Drive in West Des Moines. |
| Route 96 | → | Route 20 | Along EP True Parkway from Mills Civic Parkway to Grand Avenue. |
| Route 98 | → | Route 9L and DART On Demand Ankeny | |
| Route 99 | → | Route 11 or 12 |
From Altoona Walmart to Des Moines. (DART On Demand Altoona will begin Fall 2026.) |
Turn-by-Turn Directions
Click here to view turn-by-turn directions for the entire network. Spoken audio directions are also available by video here.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When will DART's new routes begin?
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All new bus routes will begin on Sunday, June 14, 2026.
- What routes are going away?
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All current local bus routes will be replaced with the new bus routes beginning Sunday, June 14, 2026. All Express Routes, Flex Connect, On Call services and the LINK shuttle end on Friday, June 12, 2026. In addition, we will no longer provide fixed route bus service in Bondurant or Pleasant Hill beginning June 14, because those communities voted to withdraw from DART.
- Why are DART’s routes changing?
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The Des Moines metro has changed a lot in the last 10 years. We designed a new network to ensure our bus routes match people’s travel needs and our communities’ priorities for public transit with the funding we have.
- Where do I find a schedule for my new route?
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You can view schedules for each new route on this webpage by April 30, 2026.
- Is my bus stop going away?
-
We are removing about every other bus stop in some areas, especially closer to downtown Des Moines. You can view a list of bus stops that are staying the same, moving or being removed on this webpage by April 30, 2026. In May, we will post signs on bus stops that are going away.
- How will these changes impact Paratransit?
-
We will continue to provide Paratransit service using a similar service map as today, but our hours of service will change to match the rest of the network.
The new Paratransit hours will be:
- Monday – Saturday, 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Sunday, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
We will also no longer provide Paratransit service in Bondurant or Pleasant Hill because those cities voted to withdraw from DART. The DART Commission WILL consider additional changes to Paratransit through 2026. Any possible changes will be shared for public feedback before being made.
- Why are you reducing the hours of service?
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We cut service hours during the least traveled times of day to align with our budget. Learn more here.
- What happens if I can’t use one of the new routes to get where I need to go?
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We’re sorry you won’t be able to ride DART to get where you need to go. With limited funding, we have designed our bus routes based on what most people want for service. We are considering other options to meet some travel needs. Please tell us about your transportation needs here.
- What does the “L” stand for in routes 3L and 9L?
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Great question! The “L” means long. Routes 3L and 9L are longer than Routes 3 and 9 because they provide service to West Des Moines and Ankeny.