Origin
Carlisle, IA
Morning in Carlisle on Sunday
Local time
9:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carlisle, IA to West Saint Marys, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
25.7 mi
41 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carlisle, IA
Quang Nguyen Vinh
West Saint Marys, IA
Vladimir Srajber
Trip Overview
Carlisle, IA to West Saint Marys, IA is 25.7 miles and takes about 41 minutes via State Highway 28 and Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically Iowa, offering a straightforward drive. It's a practical option if you're looking for a quick journey between these two points without much fuss. You'll primarily be on state and county roads, making it a more local experience than a major highway trek.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Highway 28 | 7.8 mi | 11m |
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| County Road R45 | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| IA 5 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| County Road G14 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| North Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| County Road R63 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Southwest 9th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
State Highway 28
— 7.8 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carlisle, IA and West Saint Marys, IA.
1
Start on North 5th Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
North 5th Street
2
Turn right onto IA 5
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
IA 5
3
Merge onto US 65; IA 5
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
4
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 96
Toward CR R63: Southwest 9th Street
5
Turn left onto CR R63
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Southwest 9th Street
6
Continue on CR R63
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
County Road R63
7
Turn right onto County Road G14
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
County Road G14
8
Continue on CR G14
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Avenue
9
Turn left onto IA 28
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Sunset Drive
10
Continue on IA 28
7.8 mi
·
11 min
·
State Highway 28
11
At end of road, turn left onto IA 92
0.5 mi
·
46 sec
·
IA 92
12
Turn right onto CR R45
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
County Road R45
13
Continue on CR R45
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
School Street
14
Turn right onto Iowa Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Iowa Street
15
Arrive at destination
Iowa Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 25.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IA 5
Turn right onto IA 5
Navigation decision point
5
7.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward CR R63: Southwest 9th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 96
Toward CR R63: Southwest 9th Street
4
7.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CR R63 / Southwest 9th Street
Turn left onto CR R63 / Southwest 9th Street
Navigation decision point
5
20.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
IA 92
At end of road, turn left onto IA 92
Navigation decision point
4
25.3 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
Iowa Street
Turn right onto Iowa Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.02 one way
$8.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.41 | $8.82 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.95 | $9.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.67 | $11.35 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.64 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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.
Destination
West Saint Marys, IA
Morning in West Saint Marys on Sunday
Local time
9:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
41m 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 offers a mixed drive experience, with 43% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches on State Highway 28 and the Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway, interspersed with County Road R45. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is 7.8 miles on State Highway 28. Expect a varied road feel, transitioning between more open highway driving and potentially more localized county road segments as you progress toward West Saint Marys.
43% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on State Highway 28.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near IA 5.
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 41m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (IA 5): Navigation decision point; at 7.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 7.9 miles (CR R63 / Southwest 9th Street): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 25.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (43%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on State Highway 28. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (IA 5): Navigation decision point; at 7.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 7.9 miles (CR R63 / Southwest 9th Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at West Saint Marys, IA before heading back.
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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