Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 13m
Distance
117.5 mi
189 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$18
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Glenwood, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Sioux City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Glenwood, IA to Sioux City, IA is 117.5 miles and takes about 2h 13m via I 29, US 275, and US 34, with a fuel budget near $19 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays entirely within the Midwest region, traversing Iowa. The route is predominantly highway driving, making it a straightforward connection between these two Iowa cities. It's a short enough distance that you can easily complete it in a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
58.7 miles from Glenwood, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 7m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 29 | 95.9 mi | 1h 44m |
| US 275 | 16.1 mi | 18m |
| US 34 | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Hilman Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Sharp Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Floyd Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Court Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 9th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 38 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,106 veh/hr typical · worst 1,418
Quietest
2 AM
~71 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Glenwood, IA and Sioux City, IA.
Start on this road
Turn right onto North Vine Street
Turn right onto CR H30
Continue on Hilman Road
Turn right onto US 34; US 275
Take the ramp onto US 275
Continue on I 29; US 6
Take the exit
Turn right onto South Floyd Boulevard
Turn left onto 5th Street
Turn right onto Iowa Street
Keep slight left at fork onto 6th Street
Turn right onto Court Street
Turn left onto 9th Street
Turn right
Arrive at destination
For this relatively short 2h 13m drive, you have plenty of flexibility. Leaving Glenwood, IA in the morning will give you ample time to reach Sioux City, IA without feeling rushed. With only 117.5 miles, you won't need many stops, but it's wise to fuel up before you leave or as needed, especially given the $19 estimated fuel cost. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as you approach Sioux City, as services might be more concentrated once you enter the metropolitan area.
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.
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 26 miles or 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 58.7 miles or 1h 7m 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 48m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Sioux City, IA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Glenwood, 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 Glenwood, IA
This is one driving day of about 117.5 miles and 2h 13m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
59 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.
A short stop after about 26 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 58.7 miles from Glenwood, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 29 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 95.9 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 115.9 and 117.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward Floyd Boulevard, Virginia Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto South Floyd Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto Iowa Street
Navigation decision point
Keep slight left at fork onto 6th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto Court Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$18.22 one way
$36.43 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $19.98 | $39.95 |
| premium | $4.93 | $22.80 | $45.59 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $25.90 | $51.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 41.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 35.3 | 0 | $12.34 | $5.64 |
| Efficient EV | 29.4 | 0 | $10.28 | $4.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 47 | 0 | $16.45 | $7.52 |
Gas CO2
41 kg
EV CO2
14 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Glenwood on Saturday
Local time
7:48 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Partly Cloudy then Widespread Fog
Destination
Evening in Sioux City on Saturday
Local time
7:48 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Mostly Clear
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Expect to spend about 97% of your time on highways, with the longest continuous stretch covering 95.9 miles on I 29. This means you'll be doing most of your driving on high-speed, limited-access roads. You'll transition to surface roads for the remaining 3% of the drive. Pay attention as you approach Sioux City, as highway exits and merging traffic can become more frequent.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 29 and US 275. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 115.9 miles in.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 13m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 115.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 116.2 miles (South Floyd Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 116.9 miles (Iowa Street): Navigation decision point.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
233 ft
Total Descent
50 ft
Highest Point
1,200 ft
~117.8 mi in
Elevation Range
229 ft
Founded 1848
Founded 1854
Sioux City is on the western edge of the state of Iowa. It is on the Missouri River and many parts of Sioux City are among the unique Loess Hills formations.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 13m. Total distance: 117.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Straightforward navigation.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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