Origin
Fairbank, IA
Afternoon in Fairbank on Tuesday
Local time
12:05 PM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fairbank, IA to Iowa City, 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
1h 45m
Distance
83.5 mi
134 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 38m
★
6 AM
1h 45m
8 AM
2h 1m
10 AM
1h 51m
12 PM
1h 49m
3 PM
1h 52m
5 PM
2h 0m
8 PM
1h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fairbank, IA
Tom Fisk
Iowa City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 83.5-mile drive from Fairbank to Iowa City is a straightforward, one-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with a modest 5% share of highway driving, making it a turn-heavy local journey. With an estimated fuel cost of around $13, this route is quite budget-friendly for a single day's adventure. Given its relatively short distance and direct nature, it's perfectly suited for a day trip, allowing ample time to reach your destination without needing an overnight stop. This Midwestern journey keeps you within the familiar landscapes of Iowa.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
41.8 miles from Fairbank, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 53m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue of the Saints | 54.4 mi | 1h |
| Baxter Avenue | 10.6 mi | 14m |
| Benson Shady Grove Avenue | 7.1 mi | 9m |
| I 80 | 4.2 mi | 4m |
| South Black Hawk Buchanan Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Dubuque Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Gilbert Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 54.4 mi, about 1h
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairbank, IA and Iowa City, IA.
1
Start on IA 281
69 ft
·
6 sec
·
4th Street South
2
Turn left onto IA 281
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
·
Main Street East
3
Turn left onto IA 281
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Walnut Street South
4
Continue on CR V62
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Baxter Avenue
5
Enter roundabout onto CR V62
136 ft
·
2 sec
·
Baxter Avenue
6
Continue on CR V62
9.0 mi
·
12 min
·
Baxter Avenue
7
Continue on V62
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
8
At end of road, turn left onto CR D22
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
South Street
9
Turn right onto V65
7.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Benson Shady Grove Avenue
10
Continue on CR V65
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Black Hawk Buchanan Avenue
11
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
12
Merge onto I 380; IA 27
54 mi
·
1 hr
·
Avenue of the Saints
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 80
14
Keep slight left at fork
1.2 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 80 East: Davenport
15
Merge onto I 80
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
I 80
16
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Toward Downtown
17
Turn right onto North Dubuque Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North Dubuque Street
18
Turn left onto Kimball Road
477 ft
·
21 sec
·
Kimball Road
19
Keep slight right at fork onto North Gilbert Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
North Gilbert Street
20
Arrive at destination
South Gilbert Street
Trip Plan
For this 1 hour and 45-minute drive, you have plenty of flexibility. Consider leaving mid-morning to avoid early rush hour traffic, especially if you're departing from a more populated area. Since there are no designated stops mentioned, plan your own brief breaks as needed, perhaps at a small town along the way. The fuel cost is estimated at $13, so ensure your tank is sufficiently full before departing. A specific tip for this route: pay close attention to the signage for Avenue of the Saints, as it forms your longest stretch and will be your primary guide for a significant portion of the journey.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 41.8 miles from Fairbank, IA, or about 53m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 54.4 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 18 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 41.8 miles or 53m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 25m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Iowa City, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Fairbank, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Fairbank, IA
This is one driving day of about 83.5 miles and 1h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Fairbank, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Avenue of the Saints for about 54.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
42 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 41.8 miles from Fairbank, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 75.9 — 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
|
IA 281 / Main Street East
Turn left onto IA 281 / Main Street East
Navigation decision point
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
IA 281 / Walnut Street South
Turn left onto IA 281 / Walnut Street South
Navigation decision point
4
2.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
CR V62 / Baxter Avenue
Enter roundabout onto CR V62 / Baxter Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
12.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CR D22 / South Street
At end of road, turn left onto CR D22 / South Street
Navigation decision point
5
75.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 31m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 80 East: Davenport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 80 East: Davenport
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.05 one way
$26.11 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
29 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $14.33 | $28.67 |
| premium | $4.89 | $16.07 | $32.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $18.44 | $36.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 29.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 25.1 | 0 | $8.77 | $4.01 |
| Efficient EV | 20.9 | 0 | $7.31 | $3.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 33.4 | 0 | $11.69 | $5.34 |
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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
Iowa City, IA
Afternoon in Iowa City on Tuesday
Local time
12:05 PM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
SW 15 mph
40% chance
Live 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
38 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
1h 45m 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?
Expect a local, turn-heavy driving experience on this route, with only a small fraction (5%) on highways. The majority of your mileage will be on roads like Avenue of the Saints, Baxter Avenue, and Benson Shady Grove Avenue. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 54.4 miles on Avenue of the Saints, offering a more consistent pace before you transition back to more frequent turns. This drive doesn't feel like a monotonous interstate grind; instead, it's more about navigating through local areas, requiring your attention to road signs and turns.
Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 54.4 mi on Avenue of the Saints.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IA 281 / Main Street East.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 83.5 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (IA 281 / Main Street East): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (IA 281 / Walnut Street South): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (CR V62 / Baxter Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
About the Cities
Arriving in Iowa City, IA
Full guide →Hip and urban, Iowa City is a prominent college town primarily known as the home of the University of Iowa. Along with its adjacent suburb of Coralville, just to the west. Iowa City sits at the center of a metro area home to 171,000 people (2020) in the I-380 Corridor region of Eastern Iowa.
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 1h 45m. Total distance: 83.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 54.4 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Iowa City, IA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 (IA 281 / Main Street East): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (IA 281 / Walnut Street South): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (CR V62 / Baxter Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Iowa 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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