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Trip from Clear Lake, IA to Swaledale, IA

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

Drive Time

18m

Distance

13.9 mi

22 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Sparse

1 stations

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 17m ★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m ★

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

Best Time
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city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States

Clear Lake, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Swaledale, IA, IA

Swaledale, IA

CB22 Airport Cars

Trip Overview

Clear Lake, IA to Swaledale, IA is 13.9 miles and takes about 18 minutes via Avenue of the Saints, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within the Midwest region, offering a quick transit between two points in Iowa. Given its brief duration, it's ideal for a last-minute excursion or an add-on to a longer journey. You won't encounter significant changes in scenery or terrain on this direct route.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Avenue of the Saints 10 mi 10m
150th Street 1.4 mi 2m
4th Avenue South 1.1 mi 1m
I 35 Business 0.3 mi <1m
North 8th Street 0.3 mi <1m
Arthur Street 0.1 mi <1m
3rd Street 0.1 mi <1m
Main Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Avenue of the Saints — 10 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clear Lake, IA and Swaledale, IA.

1

Start on North 6th Street

79 ft · 5 sec · North 6th Street
2

Turn right onto 1st Avenue North

186 ft · 10 sec · 1st Avenue North
3

Turn right onto I 35 Business

0.3 mi · 33 sec · North 8th Street
4

Turn left onto I 35 Business

1.1 mi · 1 min · 4th Avenue South
5

Take the ramp onto I 35 Business

0.3 mi · 43 sec · I 35 Business
Toward I 35 south, US 18 east, IA 27 south: Des Moines
6

Merge onto I 35; US 18; IA 27

10 mi · 10 min · Avenue of the Saints
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward CR B60: Swaledale, Rockwell
8

Turn left onto CR B60

1.4 mi · 2 min · 150th Street
9

Continue on Arthur Street

0.1 mi · 16 sec · Arthur Street
10

Turn right onto 3rd Street

0.1 mi · 31 sec · 3rd Street
11

Turn left onto Main Street

208 ft · 9 sec · Main Street
12

Arrive at destination

Main Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.8 — 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

5
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in | I 35 Business

Take the ramp onto I 35 Business toward I 35 south, US 18 east, IA 27 south: Des Moines

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 35 south, US 18 east, IA 27 south: Des...
5
11.8 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward CR B60: Swaledale, Rockwell

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward CR B60: Swaledale, Rockwell
5
13.7 mi into trip | ~17m in | 3rd Street

Turn right onto 3rd Street

Navigation decision point

5
13.8 mi into trip | ~18m in | Main Street

Turn left onto Main Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.05 one way

$4.11 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $2.27 $4.53
premium $4.72 $2.58 $5.16
diesel $4.80 $2.62 $5.25

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.2 0 $1.46 $0.67
Efficient EV 3.5 0 $1.22 $0.56
EV Truck/SUV 5.6 0 $1.95 $0.89

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 Jul 6, 2026

Origin

Clear Lake, IA

Late night in Clear Lake on Tuesday

Local time

4:41 AM

CDT

Current temp

84°F

Mostly Sunny

SSE 6 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 6 at 10:01AM CDT until July 7 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 6 at 9:40AM CDT until July 12 at 12:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

Swaledale, IA

Late night in Swaledale on Tuesday

Local time

4:41 AM

CDT

Current temp

83°F

Mostly Sunny

SSE 5 mph 4% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 6 at 10:01AM CDT until July 7 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued July 6 at 9:40AM CDT until July 12 at 12:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

18m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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

What kind of drive is this?

This route consists of mostly surface roads, with only a small portion on highways. You'll spend the vast majority of your time on local roads, navigating through Iowa's landscape. The longest continuous stretch on a primary road, Avenue of the Saints, measures 10 miles. Expect a more relaxed pace with fewer exits compared to a full highway drive.

Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on Avenue of the Saints.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

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 early in the drive near 1st Avenue North.

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 18m drive. You will face about 9 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 1.4 miles (I 35 Business): Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,256 ft 1,152 ft

Total Climb

77 ft

Total Descent

159 ft

Highest Point

1,256 ft

~3 mi in

Elevation Range

105 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Clear Lake, IA and Swaledale, IA, road signs point toward Cr B60: Swaledale and Rockwell.

Cr B60: Swaledale

11.8 mi in | ~13m

Rockwell

11.8 mi in | ~13m

About the Cities

Starting in Clear Lake, IA

Full guide →

Clear Lake is a city in North Central Iowa.

Top landmarks

  • • Surf Ballroom — American ballroom noted for being the place of the final performances of Buddy H...

Arriving in Swaledale, IA

Full guide →

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 18m. Total distance: 13.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

18m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (2%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 2 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.

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 1.4 miles (I 35 Business): Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Swaledale, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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