Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 10, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 9m
Distance
57.6 mi
93 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Iowa City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Eldridge, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Iowa City to Eldridge is 57.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 9 minutes via I 80, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest and entirely within Iowa, making it a convenient option for those looking to cover a small distance without significant travel time. Given its brevity and primarily highway profile, it's ideal for a same-day excursion or an easy addition to a longer trip. You'll find it a straightforward drive, mostly on major interstates, connecting two points within the state.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 80 | 48.9 mi | 53m |
| North Brady Street | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| North Dodge Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Leclaire Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| South Gilbert Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Governor Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Church Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| US 61 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,452 veh/hr typical · worst 1,728
Quietest
2 AM
~192 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 19 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Iowa City, IA and Eldridge, IA.
Start on South Gilbert Street
Turn right onto Church Street
Turn left onto IA 1
Turn right onto IA 1
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 80
Take the exit onto US 61
Merge onto US 61
Take the exit
Turn left onto East Leclaire Road
Turn right onto North 1st Street
Turn left onto West Franklin Street
Turn right onto North 2nd Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 28.8 miles from Iowa City, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 57.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Church Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto IA 1 / North Governor Street
Navigation decision point
Take the exit onto US 61 toward US 61 North: Eldridge, DeWitt
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto East Leclaire Road
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto North 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$9.04 one way
$18.08 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.39 | $9.95 | $19.90 |
| premium | $5.00 | $11.34 | $22.69 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $13.53 | $27.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.05 | $2.76 |
| Efficient EV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.04 | $2.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23 | 0 | $8.06 | $3.69 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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 Iowa City on Wednesday
Local time
7:29 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Mostly Cloudy
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 7 at 10:30PM CDT until September 8 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Destination
Evening in Eldridge on Wednesday
Local time
7:29 PM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Partly Cloudy
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 7 at 10:30PM CDT until September 8 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
80°F
Wilton, IA
29 mi in
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.
This drive is predominantly on highways, with 85% of the 57.6 miles occurring on these faster roads. You'll experience a long stretch of 48.9 miles on I 80, which means consistent cruising and fewer turns for an extended period. The route begins on surface streets like North Dodge Street and North Brady Street before merging onto I 80, and then transitions back to surface roads as you approach Eldridge.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and North Brady Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near Church Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 9m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (IA 1 / North Governor Street): Navigation decision point; at 52 miles (US 61): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
251 ft
Total Descent
123 ft
Highest Point
794 ft
~57.6 mi in
Elevation Range
128 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Iowa City, IA to Eldridge, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Dewitt along the way.
Dewitt
Founded 1839
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.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 9m. Total distance: 57.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). 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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