There are 9 ways to get from San Jose to Ames by plane, shuttle, subway, train, bus, bus (Greyhound, Flixbus), car, or taxi
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Des Moines, shuttle
best- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Des Moines (DSM)plane SJC - DSM
- Take a shuttle bus from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
7h 21m$182–672BART, train, bus, shuttle
- Take the subway from Berryessa / North San Jose to Richmondsubway
- Take the train from Richmond to Denvertrain
- Take the bus from Denver Union Station to Des Moinesbus
- Take a shuttle bus from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
2d 2h$984–1,622Bus
- Take the bus from San Jose Diridon Station to Los Angeles Union Stationbus
- Take the bus from Los Angeles Union Station to Tulsa Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Tulsa to Amesbus
2d 3h$434–651Drive 1,852 mi
- Drive from San Jose to Amescar 1,852 mi
28h 36m$338–489BART to Oakland International Airport, fly to Des Moines, shuttle
- Take the subway from Berryessa / North San Jose to Coliseumsubway
- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Des Moines (DSM)plane OAK - DSM
- Take a shuttle bus from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
8h 9m$189–682Fly Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Fort Dodge Municipal Airport, taxi
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Fort Dodge Municipal Airport (FOD)plane SJC - FOD
- Take the taxi from Fort Dodge Municipal Airport (FOD) to Amestaxi
12h 2m$242–662Caltrain to San Francisco International Airport, fly to Des Moines, shuttle
- Take the train from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to Millbrae Caltrain Northboundtrain
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Des Moines (DSM)plane SFO - DSM
- Take a shuttle bus from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
8h 31m$196–520Shuttle to Monterey Regional Airport, fly to Des Moines, shuttle
- Take a shuttle bus from SJC Airport Terminal B to Monterey Shuttle Station
- Fly from Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) to Des Moines (DSM)plane MRY - DSM
- Take a shuttle bus from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
10h 16m$243–750Train, bus
- Take the train from San Jose to Los Angelestrain
- Take the train from Los Angeles to Kansas Citytrain
- Take the bus from Kansas City to Amesbus
2d 4h$1,238–2,042
San Jose to Ames by bus
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from San Jose to Ames is to Caltrain and fly and shuttle which costs $190 - $550 and takes 8h 31m.
The fastest way to get from San Jose to Ames is to fly and shuttle which takes 7h 21m and costs $180 - $700.
No, there is no direct bus from San Jose station to Ames. However, there are services departing from San Jose Diridon Station and arriving at Ames via Los Angeles Union Station and Tulsa. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 2 days 3h.
The distance between San Jose and Ames is 1581 miles. The road distance is 1862.8 miles.
The best way to get from San Jose to Ames without a car is to BART and train and bus and shuttle which takes 2 days 2h and costs $950 - $1,700.
It takes approximately 7h 21m to get from San Jose to Ames, including transfers.
San Jose to Ames bus services, operated by Greyhound USA, depart from San Jose Diridon Station.
San Jose to Ames bus services, operated by Greyhound USA, arrive at Los Angeles Union Station.
Ames is 2h ahead of San Jose. It is currently 12:53 AM in San Jose and 2:53 AM in Ames.
Yes, the driving distance between San Jose to Ames is 1863 miles. It takes approximately 28h 36m to drive from San Jose to Ames.
What companies run services between San Jose, CA, USA and Ames, IA, USA?
You can take a bus from San Jose Diridon Station to Ames via Los Angeles Union Station and Tulsa in around 2d 3h.
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 4m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–480
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Des Moines via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 37m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $110–490
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Des Moines via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 50m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Des Moines via Chicago Midway
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 38m
- When
- Monday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $130–600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 18m
- When
- Tuesday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- $100–480
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Des Moines via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 58m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–500
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Des Moines via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 5m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Des Moines via Chicago Midway
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 15m
- When
- Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–410
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 45m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–420
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $100–440
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Des Moines via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 43m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $110–550
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Des Moines via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 26m
- When
- Monday to Thursday
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 8m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $100–440
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 29m
- When
- Monday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- $100–440
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 50m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–480
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Des Moines via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 45m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Des Moines via Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 23m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–600
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–480
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Fort Dodge Municipal Airport via Chicago O'Hare
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 37m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $130–600
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Fort Dodge Municipal Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 15h 49m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–480
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 4m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $90–410
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 31m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–500
Flights from Monterey Regional Airport to Des Moines via San Francisco International Airport, Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 59m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–550
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Des Moines via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 38m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–440
- Website
- flyfrontier.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Des Moines via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 15m
- When
- Monday and Friday
- Estimated price
- $100–310
- Phone
- +1-510-464-6000
- Website
- BART
Subway from Berryessa / North San Jose to Richmond
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–13
- Website
- BART
Subway from Berryessa / North San Jose to Coliseum
- Ave. Duration
- 44 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $6–9
- Website
- BART
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Richmond to Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 32h 52m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $750–1,200
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from San Jose to Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 45m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $230–360
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Los Angeles to Kansas City
- Ave. Duration
- 35h 7m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $950–1,600
- Website
- Amtrak
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- Cal Train
Train from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to Millbrae Caltrain Northbound
- Ave. Duration
- 56 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $7–10
- Website
- Cal Train
- Schedules at
- Cal Train
- One-way Adult
- $7–10
- Phone
- +1 320.253.2226
- Website
- Executive Express
Shuttle from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $80–190
- Website
- Executive Express
- Schedules at
- Executive Express Coverage Areas for Minnesota and Iowa
Shuttle from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $80–190
- Website
- Executive Express
- Schedules at
- Executive Express Coverage Areas for Minnesota and Iowa
Shuttle from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $80–190
- Website
- Executive Express
- Schedules at
- Executive Express Coverage Areas for Minnesota and Iowa
Shuttle from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $80–190
- Website
- Executive Express
- Schedules at
- Executive Express Coverage Areas for Minnesota and Iowa
Shuttle from Des Moines International Airport, IA to Ames, IA - Iowa State University
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $80–190
- Website
- Executive Express
- Schedules at
- Executive Express Coverage Areas for Minnesota and Iowa
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- [email protected]
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Denver Union Station to Des Moines
- Ave. Duration
- 13h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $120–190
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from San Jose Diridon Station to Los Angeles Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 5m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $60–95
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Los Angeles Union Station to Tulsa Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 32h 35m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $270–400
- Website
- Greyhound
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- Flixbus USA
Bus from San Jose Diridon Station to Los Angeles Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $50–80
- Schedules at
- Flixbus USA
- Phone
- +1-858-800-8898
- Website
- jeffersonlines.com
Bus from Tulsa to Ames
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 50m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $110–160
- Book at
- Jefferson Lines
- Adult
- $110–160
Bus from Kansas City to Ames
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 20m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $55–85
- Book at
- Jefferson Lines
- Adult
- $55–85
- Phone
- +1 831-373-7777
- Website
- Groome Transportation
Shuttle from SJC Airport Terminal B to Monterey Shuttle Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 35m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $45–60
- Schedules at
- Groome Transportation
- Standard Rate
- $45–60
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 19m
- Estimated price
- $140–180
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Booking & Getting There
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