The band before the Iowa game at Jack Trice Stadium, September 2007. Photo: K.a.zenz (Wikimedia Commons user), Public domain
Big 12 · Ames, Iowa
Checked against 10 sources on November 10, 2026 · Editorial team · How we check
Stay on South 16th Street or University Boulevard if you can get a room: both are a 26–33 minute walk. If not, the hotels at the I-35 exit are 8–9 minutes away, and Ankeny is next.
The hotels on South 16th Street, by the public grass lots, and on University Boulevard, south-west of the stadium, are the only ones you can walk from: 26–33 minutes. The big cluster of chain hotels at the I-35 exit on the east side of town is an 8–9 minute drive with no traffic, and west Ames is 9. When Ames is full, Boone is 20 minutes away and Ankeny, on I-35 towards Des Moines, 31–39.
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Iowa State opens 2027 with three home games, the third against Iowa. The Big 12 has named the four conference home opponents but has not published their dates. [2] Hardest so far: Bowling Green, Iowa, Colorado, Houston, TCU and UCF (Hard). How we rate weekends.
| Date | Opponent | Rooms | Why | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 28, 2027 | South Dakota State Non-conference | Busy | Non-conference, no billed weekend Season opener. [2] | Rooms Fri–Sun → |
| Sat, Sep 4, 2027 | Bowling Green Non-conference | Hard | Holiday weekend The second of three home games to open the season. [2] | Rooms Fri–Sun → |
| Sat, Sep 11, 2027 | Iowa Non-conference | Hard | Rivalry The Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series game, in Ames. [2] | Rooms Fri–Sun → |
| Date not yet set | Colorado Big 12 | Hard | Conference game [2] | Rooms → |
| Date not yet set | Houston Big 12 | Hard | Conference game [2] | Rooms → |
| Date not yet set | TCU Big 12 | Hard | Conference game [2] | Rooms → |
| Date not yet set | UCF Big 12 | Hard | Conference game [2] | Rooms → |
Kickoff times may not be set until a few weeks before the game. Book Friday and Saturday nights, and check the time before you travel.
Of the 12 hotels we list, the closest is the Comfort Inn & Suites Ames near ISU Campus at 603 South 16th Street: a 26 minute walk (1.2 mi) to the stadium. 2 are within a 40 minute walk. Times are routed on OpenStreetMap from each hotel to the stadium with no traffic [9]; on game day the drive takes longer and the lots fill early.
| Hotel | Area | On foot | By car | Game-day bus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfort Inn & Suites Ames near ISU Campus 603 South 16th Street, Ames | South 16th Street | 26 min · 1.2 mi | 5 min · 1.3 mi | None listed |
| Best Western Plus University Park Inn & Suites 2500 University Boulevard, Ames | University Boulevard | 33 min · 1.6 mi | 4 min · 1.4 mi | None listed |
| SpringHill Suites Ames 1810 SE 16th Street, Ames | I-35 exit | 59 min · 2.7 mi | 8 min · 2.9 mi | None listed |
| Sleep Inn & Suites Ames 1310 Dickinson Avenue, Ames | West Ames | Drive | 9 min · 2.7 mi | None listed |
| Hilton Garden Inn Ames 1325 Dickinson Avenue, Ames | West Ames | Drive | 9 min · 2.8 mi | None listed |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Ames 2100 SE 16th Street, Ames | I-35 exit | Drive | 8 min · 4.0 mi | None listed |
| AmericInn by Wyndham Ames 2507 SE 16th Street, Ames | I-35 exit | Drive | 9 min · 4.3 mi | None listed |
| Country Inn & Suites Ames 2605 SE 16th Street, Ames | I-35 exit | Drive | 9 min · 4.3 mi | None listed |
| Baymont by Wyndham Boone 1745 SE Marshall Street, Boone | Boone | Drive | 20 min · 13.7 mi | None listed |
| Comfort Inn & Suites Ankeny 215 NE Delaware Avenue, Ankeny | Ankeny | Drive | 31 min · 24.1 mi | None listed |
| Courtyard Des Moines Ankeny 2405 SE Creekview Drive, Ankeny | Ankeny | Drive | 34 min · 26.1 mi | None listed |
| Residence Inn Des Moines Ankeny 1515 SW Main Street, Ankeny | Ankeny | Drive | 39 min · 27.2 mi | None listed |
Walk to the gatesFamilies
A hotel south-west of the stadium, on the road that runs past it. A 33 minute walk, or 4 minutes by car with no traffic.
Hotels here
Walk to the gatesTailgaters
The street of the public grass lots, south-east of the stadium. The Comfort Inn here is the shortest walk of any hotel we list: 26 minutes.
Hotels here
Food and drink
Main Street's restaurants and bars, north-east of campus. We list no hotel here; it is the place to eat, 7 minutes by car or a 36 minute walk from the stadium.
Hotels in Downtown Ames →DriversComing from the west
Two chain hotels on Dickinson Avenue, off US 30 on the west side of town. A 9 minute drive with no traffic.
Hotels here
DriversGroupsMore choice
The biggest group of hotels in Ames, at the I-35 exit on the east side of town. An 8–9 minute drive with no traffic, and the easiest to reach from Des Moines.
Hotels here
OverflowComing from Des Moines
The suburb north of Des Moines, on I-35. Two groups of chain hotels, at the Delaware Avenue exit and around Tone's Drive, 31–39 minutes from the stadium with no traffic. The first place with real choice when Ames is full.
Hotels here
OverflowComing from the west
A small town west of Ames on US 30, with a few hotels on its south-east side. Only 20 minutes from the stadium with no traffic, but few rooms.
Hotels here
Iowa State sells passes for the public grass lots on South 16th Street online only, until noon on the Friday before the game or until they run out, and says most games sell out in advance. Buy parking when you book your room. [4]
During Iowa State home football games, the City of Ames raises parking fines: illegal parking costs $75. Legal parking on some residential streets is marked by signs. [6]
Cars may not stay overnight in any donor or public lot, before or after the game. RV Village, which opens at 8 a.m. on the Friday, has 55-foot stalls with hook-ups, but it is a donor lot that needs a Cyclone Club contribution, and RVs leave on Sunday morning. [4]
In 2026 Iowa State closed every grass lot around the stadium for one game after heavy rain and refunded the passes. With the grass lots shut, the paved lots near the stadium were for donors only, so plan on the free lots or a short drive from your hotel. [5]
Coming as a group or a family? Houses and apartments in and around Ames are on Vrbo: vacation rentals in Ames →
Our own readings of Booking.com search results: two nights, two adults, prices before taxes, one reading on one day. A record of last season, not a forecast for 2027, and not used in the rating.
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All parking lots open at 6 a.m. Do not queue at the entrances before then: cars waiting or parked near a lot entrance may be moved, and cars that go in early may be towed. [3]
With a public grass pass you choose a lot on arrival and staff guide you to a space. Tailgate behind your own stall only: one space per pass, tents no larger than 10 x 10 feet, and no glass, kegs or open fires. Keep the drive lanes clear. [4]
Parking is free at the ISU Research Park, south of Highway 30 along Airport Road, and in many campus lots. You cannot tailgate in any of them. In the streets near the stadium, follow the signs: badly parked cars can be ticketed or towed. [4]
After the game, Uber, Lyft and taxis pick up in the drive lane south-east of the pedestrian bridge east of the stadium, east of University Boulevard along RV Village. They may not enter the lots or stop in traffic. [4]
Tickets are mobile only, and screenshots do not scan. Every gate has metal detectors and the clear bag policy applies, so come early. Since 2026 there is no re-entry. Fast Pass wristbands, collected from 4 hours to 2.5 hours before kickoff, get you through designated gates until the end of the first quarter. [3]
ADA parking is in paved stalls south of the stadium, first come, first served, with a state disabled parking permit. Pay on arrival by card: $40 a car, or $60 for the Iowa game. It cannot be booked ahead. [4]
There is no re-entry, so leave when you are done. If you are staying on University Boulevard or South 16th Street, walking back is usually quicker than queueing to drive out of the lots. [3]
Ames sits where I-35 crosses US 30. Des Moines is about 45 minutes south on I-35 with no traffic; the stadium is just north of US 30 on the south side of campus. [9]
CyRide, the Ames bus system, runs service on game day. Check its site for the routes that week. [3]
Des Moines International (DSM) is 59 minutes' drive from the stadium with no traffic (42.1 mi). [9]
Of the hotels we list, the Comfort Inn & Suites at 603 South 16th Street. It is a 26 minute walk (1.2 miles) to the stadium. The Best Western Plus on University Boulevard is 33 minutes on foot. [9]
The hotels at the I-35 exit on the east side of Ames are 8–9 minutes away by car. If those are full, Boone is 20 minutes away and Ankeny, with far more hotels, 31–39 minutes. [9]
South Dakota State on 28 August, Bowling Green on 4 September and Iowa on 11 September. Colorado, Houston, TCU and UCF also come to Ames; the Big 12 has not yet published their dates, and we add them when it does. [2]
Public grass passes for the lots on South 16th Street are sold online only, until noon on the Friday before, and most games sell out. Free parking is at the ISU Research Park and in many campus lots, without tailgating. [4]
In the drive lane south-east of the pedestrian bridge, east of the stadium and east of University Boulevard along RV Village. Drivers cannot enter the lots or stop in traffic. [4]
No. Iowa State ended re-entry in 2026, when it began selling alcohol inside the stadium. [3]
Photos are openly licensed, resized and cropped for this page. None shows a hotel we list or implies endorsement.
Walk and drive times are routed on OpenStreetMap with no traffic; game-day traffic adds to them. Found something out of date? Tell us and we fix it with a dated correction.
FootballStay is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the NFL, the NCAA, any conference, university or team. Team and stadium names are used only to describe where games are played.
The season planner: every home weekend we cover, by how hard rooms will be. Every college football team we cover, ranked by stadium seats per resident. How we rate weekends.