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Trip from Audubon, IA to Iowa City, IA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

3h 49m

Distance

202.1 mi

325 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$32

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 39 min
4 AM
3h 36m ★
6 AM
3h 49m
8 AM
4h 15m
10 AM
3h 58m
12 PM
3h 55m
3 PM
3h 59m
5 PM
4h 13m
8 PM
3h 41m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Iowa, United States

Audubon, IA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States

Iowa City, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Audubon, IA to Iowa City, IA is 202.1 miles and takes about 3h 49m via I 80 and US 6, with a fuel budget near $32 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused trip across the heart of the Midwest, specifically within Iowa. You'll spend most of your time on major interstates and highways, making for a predictable and efficient journey. Given the relatively short duration, it's an ideal one-day drive, perfect for a quick transition between locations or a dedicated travel day without feeling overly rushed. Consider this route if you prioritize getting to your destination quickly and comfortably.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

101 miles from Audubon, IA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 55m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 80 121.3 mi 2h 12m
US 6 62 mi 1h 7m
Highway 71 14.3 mi 19m
Lincoln Street 1 mi 1m
North Dubuque Street 1 mi 2m
North Gilbert Street 0.8 mi 2m
South Market Street 0.6 mi 1m
650th Street 0.6 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 80 — 121.3 mi, about 2h 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Audubon, IA and Iowa City, IA.

1

Start on US 71

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Market Street
2

Continue on US 71

12 mi · 16 min · Highway 71
3

Continue on US 71

1.0 mi · 1 min · Lincoln Street
4

Continue on US 71

2.5 mi · 3 min · Highway 71
5

Continue on US 71

0.6 mi · 55 sec · 650th Street
6

Turn left onto US 6

62 mi · 1 hr 7 min · US 6
7

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80

14 mi · 16 min · I 80
Exit 123B Toward I 35, I 80 East: Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

107 mi · 1 hr 55 min · I 80
Use the slight left lane.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 52 sec
Toward Downtown
10

Turn right onto North Dubuque Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · North Dubuque Street
11

Turn left onto Kimball Road

477 ft · 21 sec · Kimball Road
12

Keep slight right at fork onto North Gilbert Street

0.8 mi · 2 min · North Gilbert Street
13

Arrive at destination

South Gilbert Street

Trip Plan

For this 3h 49m drive, leaving in the morning allows you to arrive with plenty of daylight, especially since it's a single-day trip. With only one recommended stop and a fuel cost around $32, pacing yourself on I 80 is key; the longest stretch without a major change is over 121 miles. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, particularly before entering that longer segment. Since this is a shorter, highway-intensive route, you have the flexibility to stop for breaks as needed, but ensure you're prepared for the extended time on I 80. Having a full tank before departing Audubon is a good practice.

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 101 miles from Audubon, IA, or about 1h 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 121.3 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 44 miles or 53m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 101 miles or 1h 55m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 5m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Iowa City, IA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Audubon, 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 Audubon, IA

This is one driving day of about 202.1 miles and 3h 49m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 44 miles from Audubon, 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 I 80 for about 121.3 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Polk County, Iowa, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ankeny, IA

101 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Popular next leg

Ankeny, IA to Iowa City, IA

116 mi · 2h 13m

Pacing Suggestions

Stuart, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 44 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ankeny, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 101 miles from Audubon, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 80 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 121.3 miles.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Stops Along Your Drive

Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.

Best meal stop · home stretch

Oasis Falafel (Iowa City)

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Iowa City, Iowa

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch · 0min to go 0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour $10 to $20

Hours: 11 am–8 pm

+13193587342

Visit website

Baroncini Ristorante Italiano and Pizza

4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Iowa City, Iowa

0.1 mi

Orchard Green Restaurant and Lounge

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Iowa City, Iowa

0.4 mi

Oasis Falafel (Iowa City)

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour $10 to $20

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: 11 am–8 pm

+13193587342

Visit website

Baroncini Ristorante Italiano and Pizza

4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.1 mi from route $50 to $60

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: 11 am–2 pm

+13193372048

Visit website

Orchard Green Restaurant and Lounge

4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour $50 to $10

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: 5–9 pm

+13193541642

Visit website

SAIGON'S CORNER Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour Inexpensiv

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: 11 am–2 pm

+13193337233

Visit website

Szechuan House

4.2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour $20 to $30

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: 11 am–9:30 pm

+13193386788

Visit website

Masala Indian Cuisine

3.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.2 mi from route $10 to $20

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: 11 am–2:30 pm

+13193386199

Visit website

Le Gourmet Korean Restaurant

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour $10 to $20

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: 11 am–7 pm

+13194710959

Visit website

La Wine Bar & Restaurant

4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour $20 to $30

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: Closed

+13195196999

Tesla Supercharger

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 1.1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18777983752

Visit website

Pilot Flying J Charging Station

3.0 ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Later in the drive, short detour

Final third 1.1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Brooklyn, Iowa

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18774943833

Visit website

Shell Recharge Charging Station

3.0 ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Near the start, right off the route

1 mi from route ~2 min detour

Audubon, Iowa

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18006360986

Visit website

Electrify America Charging Station

4.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 2.5 mi from route ~6 min detour

Williamsburg, Iowa

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18336322778

Visit website

ChargeLab Charging Station

2.0 ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Near the end, right off the route

Home stretch 0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour

Iowa City, Iowa

Hours: Open 24 hours

+31880109500

Visit website

Shell Recharge Charging Station

4.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 2.3 mi from route ~6 min detour

Coralville, Iowa

Hours: 11:30 am–9 pm

+31880109500

Visit website

Tesla Supercharger

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, ~9 min detour

Home stretch 3.4 mi from route ~9 min detour

Coralville, Iowa

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18777983752

Visit website

ChargePoint Charging Station

3.1 ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Near the end, short detour

Home stretch 2.4 mi from route ~6 min detour

Coralville, Iowa

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18887584389

Visit website

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 16.5 and 201.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
16.5 mi into trip | ~23m in | US 6

Turn left onto US 6

Navigation decision point

9
78.6 mi into trip | ~1h 30m in | I 80

Keep slight right at fork onto I 80 toward I 35, I 80 East: Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 123B Toward I 35, I 80 East: Chicago, Minneapolis, K...
6
93 mi into trip | ~1h 47m in | I 80

Keep slight left at fork onto I 80

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
4
199.8 mi into trip | ~3h 42m in

Take the exit toward Downtown

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward Downtown
4
201.3 mi into trip | ~3h 46m in | North Gilbert Street

Keep slight right at fork onto North Gilbert Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$31.60 one way

$63.19 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 71 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $34.69 $69.38
premium $4.89 $38.89 $77.78
diesel $5.61 $44.62 $89.24

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$32

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$57–$82

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 70.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $21 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 60.6 0 $21.22 $9.70
Efficient EV 50.5 0 $17.68 $8.08
EV Truck/SUV 80.8 1 $28.29 $12.93

Gas CO2

71 kg

EV CO2

24 kg (66% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

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 20, 2026

Origin

Audubon, IA

Morning in Audubon on Tuesday

Local time

6:10 AM

CDT

Current temp

58°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Iowa City, IA

Morning in Iowa City on Tuesday

Local time

6:10 AM

CDT

Current temp

65°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

7 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

3h 49m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is almost entirely highway, with a 98% highway share, meaning you'll be on fast-paced roads for the vast majority of your 202.1 miles. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 121.3 miles on I 80, offering a substantial period of consistent driving. Expect a profile that's largely predictable and efficient, with minimal interruptions from local traffic or slower speeds. While the specific roads like US 6 and Highway 71 will offer slight variations, the overall character remains that of a highway-focused drive, designed for covering distance.

98% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 121.3 mi on I 80.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and US 6. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 16.5 miles in near US 6.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 3h 49m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 16.5 miles (US 6): Navigation decision point; at 78.6 miles (I 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 93 miles (I 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Audubon, IA and Iowa City, IA, road signs point toward Minneapolis and Kansas City.

Minneapolis

78.6 mi in | ~1h 30m | via I 80

Kansas City

78.6 mi in | ~1h 30m | via I 80

About the Cities

Starting in Audubon, IA

Full guide →

Audubon is a town of 2,124 residents in Southwest Iowa.

Arriving in Iowa City, IA

Full guide →

Hip and urban, Iowa City is a prominent college town primarily known as the home of the University of Iowa. Along with its adjacent suburb of Coralville, just to the west. Iowa City sits at the center of a metro area home to 171,000 people (2020) in the I-380 Corridor region of Eastern Iowa.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 49m. Total distance: 202.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

3h 49m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (98%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 121.3 miles on I 80. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.

Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.

The main spots that need attention: at 16.5 miles (US 6): Navigation decision point; at 78.6 miles (I 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 93 miles (I 80): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Possible but tiring. At 3.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.6 hours — manageable with a long break at Iowa City, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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