Origin
Denver, IA
Morning in Denver on Tuesday
Local time
7:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Denver, IA to Waterloo, IA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
12.7 mi
20 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Denver, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Waterloo, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward transit in the Midwest, the 13.2-mile journey from Denver, IA, to Waterloo, IA, is as efficient as it gets. Expect to spend about 17 minutes behind the wheel for this local trip, making it an ideal candidate for a half-day excursion or a quick commute. You will not need to worry about high travel costs, as the estimated fuel expenditure is a modest $2. Because the entire route is within the state of Iowa, you can easily complete this drive in a single day without any overnight stops. It serves as a practical, no-nonsense connection between these two communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Logan Avenue | 8.7 mi | 11m |
| East Mullan Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Larrabee Avenue | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| State Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Washington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 4th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Fayette Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Logan Avenue
— 8.7 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Denver, IA and Waterloo, IA.
1
Start on CR C50
40 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Fayette Street
2
Turn right onto State Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
State Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto US 63
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Larrabee Avenue
4
Continue on US 63
8.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Logan Avenue
5
Continue on US 63
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
East Mullan Avenue
6
Turn straight
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
7
Continue on Washington Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Washington Street
8
Turn right onto West 4th Street
76 ft
·
2 sec
·
West 4th Street
9
Arrive at destination
West 4th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 12.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
State Street
Turn right onto State Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 63 / Larrabee Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto US 63 / Larrabee Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
12.7 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
West 4th Street
Turn right onto West 4th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.99 one way
$3.97 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.18 | $4.36 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.44 | $4.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.80 | $5.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.11 | $0.51 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.81 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Waterloo, IA
Morning in Waterloo on Tuesday
Local time
7:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°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
16 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
18m 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 13.2-mile stretch is a turn-heavy local drive that avoids highways entirely, meaning your highway share for the trip is 0%. You will navigate primarily via State Street, Larrabee Avenue, and Logan Avenue rather than high-speed interstates. Because this is a purely local route, there are no long, uninterrupted stretches of open road to contend with. Instead, anticipate frequent turns as you transition between these streets to reach your destination. The experience behind the wheel is centered on navigating local infrastructure, offering a direct path that keeps you engaged with the local road network.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.7 mi on Logan Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near State Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Denver, IA to Waterloo, IA is easy. At 18m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (State Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (US 63 / Larrabee Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 12.7 miles (West 4th Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
988 ft
848 ft
Total Climb
116 ft
Total Descent
206 ft
Highest Point
988 ft
~2.7 mi in
Elevation Range
140 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Waterloo, IA
Full guide →Waterloo is a city of 68,000 people (2020) in of Black Hawk County in Northeast Iowa. It adjoins the city of Cedar Falls. It is home to an important John Deere tractor factory, which offers tours.
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: 12.7 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 (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.7 miles on Logan Avenue. 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 (State Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (US 63 / Larrabee Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 12.7 miles (West 4th Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Waterloo, 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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