Origin
Iowa City, IA
Late night in Iowa City on Sunday
Local time
5:33 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Iowa City, IA to Kalona, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
19 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Iowa City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Kalona, IA
Vasilij Zajcev
Trip Overview
Iowa City to Kalona is 19 miles and takes about 29 minutes via Highway 1, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, direct trip stays within the Midwest and the state of Iowa, making it a simple hop between two points. It's a straightforward drive, primarily on well-maintained highways, perfect for a quick excursion. You won't need to worry about extensive planning for this brief adventure; it's designed for ease and efficiency.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 1 Southwest | 13.3 mi | 18m |
| Highway 1 West | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| State Highway 1 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| South Gilbert Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 1st Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| East Benton Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| East Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Riverside Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Highway 1 Southwest
— 13.3 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Iowa City, IA and Kalona, IA.
1
Start on South Gilbert Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Gilbert Street
2
Turn right onto East Benton Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Benton Street
3
Turn left onto US 6; IA 1
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
South Riverside Drive
4
Turn right onto IA 1
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 1 West
5
Continue on IA 1
13 mi
·
18 min
·
Highway 1 Southwest
6
Continue on IA 1
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
State Highway 1
7
Continue on IA 1
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
1st Street
8
Turn left onto IA 22
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
East Avenue
9
Turn right onto 5th Street
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
5th Street
10
Turn left onto B Avenue
36 ft
·
1 sec
·
B Avenue
11
Arrive at destination
B Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 19 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
East Benton Street
Turn right onto East Benton Street
Navigation decision point
3
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 6; IA 1 / South Riverside Drive
Turn left onto US 6; IA 1 / South Riverside Drive
Navigation decision point
4
18.3 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
IA 22 / East Avenue
Turn left onto IA 22 / East Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
18.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
5th Street
Turn right onto 5th Street
Navigation decision point
5
19 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
B Avenue
Turn left onto B Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.97 one way
$5.94 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.26 | $6.52 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.66 | $7.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.19 | $8.39 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
| Efficient EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.66 | $0.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.22 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Kalona, IA
Late night in Kalona on Sunday
Local time
5:33 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
22 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
29m 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 route is 86% highway, so expect a lot of cruising on Highway 1. The longest stretch on this road is 13.3 miles on Highway 1 Southwest, offering a good period of consistent travel. After the highway portion, you'll transition to surface roads for the remaining miles. You'll notice the rural character of the drive as you leave the city.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.3 mi on Highway 1 Southwest.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Highway 1 Southwest and Highway 1 West. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near East Benton Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 29m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (East Benton Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (US 6; IA 1 / South Riverside Drive): Navigation decision point; at 18.3 miles (IA 22 / East Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 19 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.3 miles on Highway 1 Southwest. 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: at 0.7 miles (East Benton Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (US 6; IA 1 / South Riverside Drive): Navigation decision point; at 18.3 miles (IA 22 / East Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kalona, 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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