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DART Park & Ride to Iowa State Fair

Take DART to the Iowa State Fair. Enjoy a comfortable, air-conditioned ride to the fairgrounds—no traffic or parking hassles with Park & Ride

Service Overview

Service Hours

August 13 – 22: 8 a.m. until midnight

Sunday, August 23: 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Bus Schedule

Departures every 10-15 minutes

Fairgrounds Drop Off and Pick-Up

Gate 10 (Found at K-1 on the Iowa State Fair’s map)

Plan Your Park and Ride Trip

Park and Ride from two convenient locations in Des Moines.

Park and Ride Locations

Find Your Spot

Learn more about parking, boarding and drop off details for each location.

7th and Center St.

7th and Center St.

Learn more
State Capitol

State Capitol

Learn more

Shuttle Bus Tickets

DART Park and Ride bus tickets can be purchased at ticket booths at each location or in the MyDART mobile app

Regular

$3

Regular (MyDART app only)

$2

Reduced Fare Riders

$1

Child Ages 5 and Under

FREE

  • Cash, card and contactless payments are accepted.
  • Exact change is appreciated.
  • Each ticket or mobile pass purchased covers the cost for a round-trip, meaning it pays for your trip to the fairgrounds and back to your Park and Ride location
  • No physical ticket or mobile pass is needed to board buses back to Park and Ride locations

MyDART App Passes

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Skip the line

Skip the ticket line and head right to the bus boarding area.

Download the MyDART™ app
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Discounted Tickets

Save $1 on each regular ticket.

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Just Show and Go

Show activated tickets to bus attendants and board. No holding on to paper tickets.

Using Mobile Passes is Easy!

As a Bus Plus rider, you can call to book a Paratransit trip at least one day before you plan to
travel. When it is time to travel:

  1. 1

    Purchase tickets for one or more people in your party.

     

  2. 2

    As you approach the bus, tap one or more tickets to highlight and then tap “activate” on the bottom of the screen.

     

  3. 3

    Show the activated passes to the attendant and find your seat.

     

Each ticket covers

both the ride to the fairgrounds and the return trip.

Download the MyDART™ app

Know Before You Go

Stroller, wagons and other mobility devices are welcome on DART buses. These items do not need to be collapsed on board, unless they block the aisle or seating for other passengers.

During busy times, you will be asked to collapse strollers and wagons as we will fill all seats on the bus.

All buses are ADA accessible and include ramps and onboard restraint systems for people in wheelchairs or motorized mobility devices

Items prohibited from the Iowa State Fairgrounds should not be brought onto the bus. See a list of items prohibited from the fairgrounds, the Grandstand and the Elwell Family Center at iowastatefair.org/safety.

After 8 p.m., location ticket booths will be closed but you can still ride to the Iowa State Fair until gate entry closes.

Only exact change or MyDART mobile passes are accepted as payment.
Stand at the “After Hours Pick Up” sign and wait for the next bus. Buses should service each pick-up location every 15 – 25 minutes.

Fairgrounds Gates close at:

August 13 – 22: 10 p.m.
August 23: 7 p.m.

When you are ready to return to your DART Park & Ride location make your way back to Gate 10 – located on the west side of the fairgrounds.

No purchase of tickets or mobile passes are necessary on the return trip to Park & Ride location.

 

Keep in mind:

  • Make sure you are waiting in the correct line for your Park & Ride location and board a bus marked with your location’s name.
  • Food and drink containers without secure lids are not allowed on buses.
  • After 6 p.m. the lines for the State Capitol and Center St. Parking Garage combine as buses will drop at both locations (the Iowa State Capitol first and then the Center St. Parking Garage). At the Iowa Capitol Complex this changes the drop off location.
  • If the Grandstand show runs past midnight, shuttle service will continue for an additional thirty minutes after the show.

Additional Questions?

Review our Park and Ride Frequently Asked Questions page to answer common questions. If you have additional questions please contact DART Customer Service: