Origin
Clear Lake, IA
Morning in Clear Lake on Sunday
Local time
9:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clear Lake, IA to Mason City, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
16m
Distance
9.7 mi
16 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 17m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 15m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clear Lake, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Mason City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Clear Lake and Mason City, this 9.6-mile connection is as straightforward as it gets. Expect to spend about 18 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will navigate entirely via local roads rather than major interstates, keeping the pace relaxed and manageable. Budgeting is simple, as you should only need about $1 in fuel for the entire journey. Both towns are located within the Midwest, ensuring a consistent regional feel throughout your short commute. It is a practical, no-fuss drive that gets you from point A to point B without any unnecessary complications.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 Business | 5.5 mi | 7m |
| 4th Street Southwest | 2 mi | 3m |
| 1st Street Northwest | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Winnebago Way | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North 8th Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Federal Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 1st Avenue North | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North 6th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35 Business
— 5.5 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clear Lake, IA and Mason City, IA.
1
Start on North 6th Street
79 ft
·
5 sec
·
North 6th Street
2
Turn right onto 1st Avenue North
186 ft
·
13 sec
·
1st Avenue North
3
Turn left onto I 35 Business
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
North 8th Street
4
Turn right onto I 35 Business; US 18
5.5 mi
·
7 min
·
I 35 Business; US 18
5
Continue on US 18 Business; IA 122
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
4th Street Southwest
6
Turn left onto Winnebago Way
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Winnebago Way
7
Continue on 1st Street Northwest
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
1st Street Northwest
8
Turn left onto North Federal Avenue
328 ft
·
16 sec
·
North Federal Avenue
9
Turn right onto 2nd Street Northeast
24 ft
·
1 sec
·
2nd Street Northeast
10
Arrive at destination
2nd Street Northeast
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 9.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
1st Avenue North
Turn right onto 1st Avenue North
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
I 35 Business / North 8th Street
Turn left onto I 35 Business / North 8th Street
Navigation decision point
4
8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Winnebago Way
Turn left onto Winnebago Way
Navigation decision point
4
9.6 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
North Federal Avenue
Turn left onto North Federal Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
9.7 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
2nd Street Northeast
Turn right onto 2nd Street Northeast
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.52 one way
$3.03 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.67 | $3.33 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.87 | $3.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.14 | $4.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.02 | $0.47 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.85 | $0.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.36 | $0.62 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Mason City, IA
Morning in Mason City on Sunday
Local time
9:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°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
23 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
16m 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 9.6-mile journey is defined by its turn-heavy, local character rather than high-speed highway cruising. Because 0% of this route involves highway driving, you should be prepared for a steady sequence of turns while navigating 1st Avenue North, North 8th Street, and 4th Street Southwest. There are no long, uninterrupted stretches here, so keep your focus on the local transitions as you move between the two communities. The road personality is functional and grounded, requiring your full attention as you navigate city streets rather than open lanes. It is a classic local transit experience that prioritizes navigation through town grids over long-distance travel.
57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.5 mi on I 35 Business.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 early in the drive near 1st Avenue North.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 16m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (1st Avenue North): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (I 35 Business / North 8th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (Winnebago Way): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Mason City, IA
Full guide →Mason City is a city in Iowa, renowned for its collection of architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright and other Prairie School architects, considered the most significant concentration of such architecture outside of Oak Park, Illinois.
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 16m. Total distance: 9.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.5 miles on I 35 Business. 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: near the start (1st Avenue North): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (I 35 Business / North 8th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles (Winnebago Way): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Mason City, 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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