Crossing Iowa from Anamosa to Sioux City covers 278.8 miles and typically takes about 5 hours and 34 minutes of drive time. Because this journey fits comfortably into a single day, you can easily complete it without needing an overnight stay. Expect to spend roughly $42 on fuel for the trip, depending on your vehicle's efficiency. You will rely on a mix of routes, including County Home Road, Highway 20, and the Avenue of the Saints. This drive is a straightforward transit through the Midwest, ideal for travelers who prefer a steady pace over a multi-day expedition. Whether you are heading west for business or a change of scenery, the route is manageable for a solo driver or a small group looking to reach the Missouri River by evening.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
139.4 miles from Anamosa, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 46m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Avenue of the Saints
202.3 mi
3h 50m
Highway 20
42.9 mi
53m
County Home Road
16.4 mi
22m
160th Street
6.4 mi
7m
Fairview Road
3 mi
5m
County Road E34
2.7 mi
4m
United States Highway 20
1.9 mi
2m
6th Street
0.9 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 202.3 mi, about 3h 50m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Anamosa, IA and Sioux City, IA.
1
Start on CR E28
0.4 mi·44 sec·East Main Street
2
Turn left onto CR E34
0.3 mi·32 sec·South Elm Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto Cemetery Road
41 ft·1 sec·Cemetery Road
4
Turn right onto CR E34
0.3 mi·29 sec·South Elm Street
5
Continue on CR E34
2.7 mi·4 min·County Road E34
6
Turn right onto CR E34
3.0 mi·5 min·Fairview Road
7
Continue on CR E34
12 mi·16 min·County Home Road
8
Enter roundabout onto CR E34
120 ft·2 sec·County Home Road
9
Continue on CR E34
1.5 mi·2 min·County Home Road
10
Enter roundabout onto County Home Road
134 ft·2 sec·County Home Road
11
Continue on County Home Road
2.7 mi·3 min·County Home Road
12
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·36 sec
13
Merge onto I 380; IA 27
42 mi·45 min·Avenue of the Saints
14
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20; IA 27
160 mi·3 hr 4 min·Avenue of the Saints
15
Continue on US 20
6.4 mi·7 min·160th Street
16
Continue on US 20
1.9 mi·2 min·United States Highway 20
17
Continue on US 20
43 mi·53 min·Highway 20
Use the straight lane.
18
Turn right onto South Fairmount Street
0.6 mi·1 min·South Fairmount Street
Use the right lane.
19
Continue on 6th Street
0.9 mi·2 min·6th Street
20
Turn right onto Court Street
0.2 mi·39 sec·Court Street
21
Turn left onto 9th Street
0.2 mi·45 sec·9th Street
22
Turn right
115 ft·8 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
To keep your drive smooth, plan for at least one dedicated stop during the 5-hour and 34-minute duration to stretch and refuel. Since you are budgeting $42 for gas, filling up before leaving Anamosa can help you gauge your range before hitting the longer 202.3-mile stretch on the Avenue of the Saints. Leaving early in the morning is your best bet to avoid potential congestion on the more turn-heavy local segments of the trip. Because the route is relatively short, you have the flexibility to adjust your pace if you encounter unexpected traffic or weather. Keep a close eye on your navigation as you transition between Highway 20 and the local roads, as these turn-heavy sections require more focus than typical open-highway driving.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 139.4 miles from Anamosa, IA, or about 2h 46m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 202.3 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 61 miles or 1h 15m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 139.4 miles or 2h 46m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 29m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Sioux City, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Anamosa, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Anamosa, IA
This is one driving day of about 278.8 miles and 5h 34m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 61 miles from Anamosa, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Avenue of the Saints for about 202.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 278.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|Cemetery Road
At end of road, turn left onto Cemetery Road
Navigation decision point
5
20.4 mi into trip|~30m in|County Home Road
Enter roundabout onto County Home Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
276.8 mi into trip|~5h 29m in|South Fairmount Street
Turn right onto South Fairmount Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
278.6 mi into trip|~5h 33m in|9th Street
Turn left onto 9th Street
Navigation decision point
5
278.8 mi into trip|~5h 34m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$43.59 one way
$87.17 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg98 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$47.86
$95.71
premium
$4.89
$53.65
$107.31
diesel
$5.61
$61.56
$123.11
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$44
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$69–$94
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 97.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
83.6
1
$29.27
$13.38
Efficient EV
69.7
0
$24.40
$11.15
EV Truck/SUV
111.5
1
$39.03
$17.84
Gas CO2
98 kg
EV CO2
33 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Anamosa, IA
Morning
in Anamosa on Sunday
Local time
9:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Sioux City, IA
Morning
in Sioux City on Sunday
Local time
9:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 34m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a varied experience behind the wheel, as this 278.8-mile journey is categorized as a turn-heavy local drive. While 16% of the route utilizes major highways, you will spend a significant portion navigating regional roads that require more driver attention than a standard interstate cruise. The longest uninterrupted segment spans 202.3 miles along the Avenue of the Saints, providing a consistent flow before you transition back to local stretches. These shifts in road type mean you should prepare for changing speed limits and more frequent navigational adjustments. It is a practical route that balances stretches of sustained momentum with the more technical demands of regional highway driving.
Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 202.3 mi on Avenue of the Saints.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Cemetery Road.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 34m drive. You will face about 13 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Cemetery Road): Navigation decision point; at 20.4 miles (County Home Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 276.8 miles (South Fairmount Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Sioux City is on the western edge of the state of Iowa. It is on the Missouri River and many parts of Sioux City are among the unique Loess Hills formations.
The longest stretch is about 202.3 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 11 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 11 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Cemetery Road): Navigation decision point; at 20.4 miles (County Home Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 276.8 miles (South Fairmount Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.6 hours each way, a round trip means 11.1 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Sioux City, IA before the return drive.
