Iowa
Small-Town Weekend Getaways from Des Moines
A Dutch windmill town, Iowa's balloon capital, and a bluff-country Norwegian town with a brewery worth the drive, all within three hours of Des Moines.
At a glance
Des Moines has 3 small-town weekend escapes, each with a full 48-hour guide to where to stay, what to do, and where to eat. Drives run from 25 min to Indianola and 3 hr to Decorah. The headline draws: National Balloon Classic, Vermeer Mill and the Molengracht, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. Most of these towns are at their best July-August, September-October.
- Escapes
- 3 towns
- Drive range
- 25 minutes to 3 hours
- Closest
- Indianola, 25 min
- Best months
- July-August, September-October
Pick your trip
Three ways to start planning a weekend from Des Moines.
Shortest drive
Indianola
Indianola is 25 min from Des Moines. Iowa's balloon capital, where a hundred hot air balloons launch off a grass field every August.
Most to do
Pella
3 mapped stops in Pella, at 45 min out. Like a piece of Holland, planted in Iowa farmland
Worth the drive
Decorah
Decorah is the longest haul at 3 hr. A Norwegian bluff-country town with a spring-fed waterfall, a world-class museum, and a brewery people drive across state lines for.
The short version
Small towns near Des Moines worth a 48-hour trip
Des Moines is surrounded by towns that national coverage treats as drive-throughs and Iowans treat as destinations: a Dutch village with a working windmill and two 19th-century bakeries, a courthouse-square town that becomes the country's balloon capital each August, and a Norwegian bluff town with a world-class museum and a brewery people cross state lines for. All within three hours.
Pella, 45 minutes southeast, was founded in 1847 by Dutch immigrants and still has the windmill, the canal through downtown, and Jaarsma Bakery making Dutch letters since 1898. Indianola, 25 minutes south, holds the National Balloon Classic for nine days each summer, when a hundred balloons launch off a grass field at dawn and glow at dusk, plus a balloon museum and a cafe that has been running since 1938. Decorah, 3 hours northeast in the Driftless Area, has a spring-fed waterfall ten minutes from downtown, the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, the Upper Iowa River, and Toppling Goliath Brewing, which is why the drive is worth two nights rather than one.
Compare the Des Moines escapes
Drive time, character, best season, and the one thing to do first, for every town within reach of Des Moines.
| Town | Drive | Character | Best time | Do first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianola | 25 min | Like Albuquerque's balloon fiesta, with ten people in the way | July-August, September-October | National Balloon Classic |
| Pella | 45 min | Like a piece of Holland, planted in Iowa farmland | Late April-May, September-October | Vermeer Mill and the Molengracht |
| Decorah | 3 hr | Like a Driftless Area Bergen, with better beer | May-October | Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum |
On the calendar
Coming up in the Des Moines escapes
Events happening in the small towns themselves, not the city.
Refreshed weekly
Nov 21 to Dec 5
Festival of Trees at The Pella Opera House
Pella · Pella Opera House
The historic Great Hall transforms into a winter wonderland filled with decorated trees, wreaths, and holiday boutique shopping. It is an ideal anchor for a cozy weekend getaway exploring Pella's Dutch charm.
Dec 3 to 5
Carriage Rides in Downtown Pella
Pella · Corner of Main & Franklin
Visitors can take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the festively decorated streets of downtown Pella. It offers a nostalgic, relaxing experience perfect for couples and families spending the weekend in town.
Dec 11
Water Street Lighted Parade
Decorah · Water Street
This festive nighttime parade illuminates downtown Decorah with community floats celebrating the holiday season. It is a quintessential small-town celebration that makes for a magical centerpiece to a winter weekend trip.
The roundup
The Best Weekend Trips from Des Moines: A Dutch Mill Town, the Balloon Capital, and a Bluff Country Brewery Town
The direct answer: Pella for the working Dutch windmill and canal, Indianola for the National Balloon Classic, and Decorah for the Driftless bluffs and Toppling Goliath. Three complete 48-hour plans.
Read the guide →All Des Moines escapes
3 weekend trip ideas from Des Moines, sorted by how far you have to drive. Vibes covered: food, history, quirk, slow, nature.
Under 1 hour
2 escapes from Des Moines
2+ hours
1 escape from Des Moines
What to do
The top attraction in each Des Moines escape town, pulled straight from the 48-hour guides.
Pella
Vermeer Mill and the Molengracht
Mill tours ~$8, canal free. A 134-foot working grain windmill in the Dutch style, with tours up the mill, then the brick canal and footbridges through downtown.
Indianola
National Balloon Classic
Entry ~$5-10, parking extra. Nine days in late July and early August with dawn and evening launches, a balloon glow, races, and a field where you stand close enough to hear the burners.
Decorah
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Entry ~$12. The largest collection of Norwegian-American artifacts anywhere, in a campus of historic buildings downtown, with a boat hall, rosemaling, and a folk-art school.
Questions & Answers
Des Moines weekend FAQ
Indianola (25 minutes), Pella (45 minutes), and Decorah (3 hours) are the strongest small-town escapes from Des Moines, covering a balloon town, a Dutch windmill village, and a Norwegian bluff town with a top-tier brewery.
Tour the 134-foot Vermeer Mill, walk the Molengracht canal through downtown, visit the 21-building Pella Historical Village, and eat Dutch letters at Jaarsma Bakery, which has been making them since 1898. Tulip Time takes over the square the first week of May.
The National Balloon Classic in Indianola runs nine days in late July and early August, with dawn and evening launches, a night glow, and races. Arrive before sunrise for the morning flights.
Indianola (25 minutes, the balloon field and Crouse Cafe), Pella (45 minutes, the Dutch windmill and bakeries), and Decorah (3 hours, waterfalls, Vesterheim, and Toppling Goliath) are the best weekend getaways from Des Moines.
Yes. Decorah, 3 hours northeast in the Driftless Area, has Dunning's Spring, the Ice Cave, bluff trails above the Upper Iowa River, and Seed Savers Exchange. Closer in, Lake Red Rock near Pella has trails and shoreline 10 minutes from town.
Indianola is 25 min from Des Moines; Pella is 45 min from Des Moines; Decorah is 3 hr from Des Moines.
Indianola: July-August, September-October; Pella: Late April-May, September-October; Decorah: May-October.
Indianola, about 25 min away. Like Albuquerque's balloon fiesta, with ten people in the way Start with National Balloon Classic.