Davenport to Parkersburg is 163.2 miles and takes about 3h 13m via Avenue of the Saints and US 6, with a fuel budget near $26 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Iowa, connecting two points in the Midwest. You'll experience a mix of highway driving and surface roads. Given its relatively short length and single day recommendation, this route offers flexibility for departure times and potential stops along the way.
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
81.6 miles from Davenport, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 37m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Avenue of the Saints
94.2 mi
1h 45m
US 6
51 mi
56m
IA 14
7.4 mi
11m
West Kimberly Road
2.9 mi
4m
Hickory Grove Road
2.5 mi
5m
6th Street
1.4 mi
2m
Marquette Street
1 mi
2m
West 4th Street
0.7 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 94.2 mi, about 1h 45m
Traffic on I-380
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 52 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,955 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,469
Quietest
2 AM
~105 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
18.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Davenport, IA and Parkersburg, IA.
1
Start on West 4th Street
0.7 mi·1 min·West 4th Street
2
Turn right onto Marquette Street
1.0 mi·2 min·Marquette Street
3
Turn left onto US 6 Hist
0.5 mi·1 min·West Locust Street
4
Turn slight right onto US 6 Hist
2.5 mi·5 min·Hickory Grove Road
5
At end of road, turn left onto US 6
2.9 mi·4 min·West Kimberly Road
6
Take the ramp onto US 6
51 mi·56 min·US 6
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi·45 sec
Toward I 380, US 218, IA 27
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 380, US 218 North, IA 27 North: Cedar Rapids, Waterloo
9
Merge onto I 380; US 218; IA 27
71 mi·1 hr 18 min·Avenue of the Saints
10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20; IA 27
23 mi·27 min·Avenue of the Saints
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi·54 sec
Toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
12
Turn right onto IA 14
7.4 mi·11 min·IA 14
13
Turn left onto IA 14; IA 57
1.4 mi·2 min·6th Street
14
Turn right onto Coates Street
0.2 mi·52 sec·Coates Street
15
Turn left
61 ft·4 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
With a drive time of just over 3 hours, this is a straightforward one-day trip. You can depart anytime in the morning and still arrive with plenty of daylight. Plan for one stop to break up the 163.2 miles, perhaps near the point where the highway driving transitions to surface roads around mile 94.2. Keep an eye on your fuel, as the estimated cost is $26, and services might be less frequent on the latter half of the route.
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 81.6 miles from Davenport, IA, or about 1h 37m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 94.2 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 36 miles or 45m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 81.6 miles or 1h 37m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 35m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Parkersburg, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Davenport, 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 Davenport, IA
This is one driving day of about 163.2 miles and 3h 13m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 36 miles from Davenport, 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 94.2 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 4.7 and 163.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
4.7 mi into trip|~10m in|US 6 / West Kimberly Road
At end of road, turn left onto US 6 / West Kimberly Road
Navigation decision point
5
58.6 mi into trip|~1h 10m in
Take the exit toward I 380, US 218, IA 27
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 380, US 218, IA 27
6
58.9 mi into trip|~1h 11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 380, US 218 North, IA 27 North: Cedar Rapids, Waterloo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 380, US 218 North, IA 27 North: Cedar...
5
153.8 mi into trip|~2h 58m in
Take the exit toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
5
163.2 mi into trip|~3h 13m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$27.22 one way
$54.45 round trip
$4.24/gal25.4 MPG avg57 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$29.59
$59.18
premium
$5.26
$33.79
$67.58
diesel
$6.18
$39.70
$79.40
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$27
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$52–$77
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 57.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $17 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
49
0
$17.14
$7.83
Efficient EV
40.8
0
$14.28
$6.53
EV Truck/SUV
65.3
0
$22.85
$10.44
Gas CO2
57 kg
EV CO2
19 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.
Forecast as of Oct 18, 2026
Origin
Davenport, IA
Morning
in Davenport on Monday
Local time
9:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Sunny
S 10 to 15 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Parkersburg, IA
Morning
in Parkersburg on Monday
Local time
9:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Sunny
S 8 to 17 mph0% chanceLive 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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
3h 13m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This 163.2-mile drive is 36% highway. You'll encounter a 94.2-mile stretch on the Avenue of the Saints, which will likely feel like consistent cruising. After that, expect a shift to surface roads, indicated by the "Mixed highway & surface" profile. The change from highway to surface roads will likely bring a noticeable difference in speed and surrounding environment.
36% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 94.2 mi on Avenue of the Saints.
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 4.7 miles in near US 6 / West Kimberly Road.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 13m 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 4.7 miles (US 6 / West Kimberly Road): Navigation decision point; at 58.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 58.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,021 ft587 ft
Total Climb
662 ft
Total Descent
274 ft
Highest Point
1,021 ft
~151.5 mi in
Elevation Range
433 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Davenport, IA and Parkersburg, IA, road signs point toward Waterloo and Grundy Center.
Davenport is one of the Quad Cities, in Eastern Iowa. This Midwestern city on the bank of the Mississippi River has seen a great deal of action throughout history. Today Davenport offers visitors interesting museums, activities and culinary experiences. Being one of the Quad Cities, a side trip to another city is easily doable - just follow the color coded signs!
Top landmarks
•Sacred Heart Cathedral — cathedral church for the Catholic Diocese of Davenport
•Lock and Dam No. 15 — lock and dam on the Mississippi River between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenpor...
The longest stretch is about 94.2 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 22 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, 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 4.7 miles (US 6 / West Kimberly Road): Navigation decision point; at 58.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 58.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Possible but tiring. At 3.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.4 hours — manageable with a long break at Parkersburg, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
