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DART Prepares for Park & Ride Service to the Iowa State Fair
7/17/2026Fairgoers can park at two locations and ride DART to the Iowa State Fair August 13-23
With the Iowa State Fair a month away, the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) is gearing up for its annual Park & Ride service.
Fairgoers can park for free at two locations in downtown Des Moines – 7th and Center Street parking garage and the Iowa State Capitol – and pay a small fee to ride a DART bus to Gate 10 on the west side of the fairgrounds. New this year, DART is making improvements at Center Street to serve more riders with shaded parking and waiting areas available.
“We are excited to continue offering a safe, affordable and convenient travel option to the Iowa State Fair,” said Luis Montoya, DART Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer. “Our strong partnership with the Iowa State Fair makes accessing this signature event possible for tens of thousands of fairgoers who don’t have to worry about parking and walking a long distance.”
How to Use DART’s Park & Ride to get to the Fair
DART’s Park & Ride service will operate from 8 a.m. until midnight each day of the fair, except for August 23 when the fairgrounds close around 9 p.m.
Buses will pick riders up at two downtown Des Moines locations:
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7th and Center Street Parking Garage, 830 7th St., just south of I-235
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Iowa State Capitol, in front of the east parking lot
Buses will depart from these locations about every 15 minutes, on average, and drop riders off at Gate 10 on the west side of the Fairgrounds. When ready to leave, riders can return to Gate 10 for a trip back to their Park & Ride location.
Buying Tickets for DART’s Park & Ride Service
Riders can purchase Park & Ride tickets from booths at each of the Park & Ride locations. Bus rides to the Fair will cost $3 per person, covering both the trip to the fairgrounds and back.
These ticket discounts are available:
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Riders who are ages 6-10, 65 and older, or Medicare cardholders can pay $1 to ride. Children 5 and under can ride for free.
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Veterans can ride free on Monday, August 17, for Veterans Day at the Iowa State Fair.
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Riders can purchase tickets for $2 in DART’s MyDART mobile app beginning on August 1.
For full details about DART’s Iowa State Fair service, visit ridedart.com/fair or contact DART Customer Service at 515-283-8100.
