Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 21m
Distance
274.2 mi
441 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$43
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Iowa City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Moville, IA
Santiago Boada
Iowa City to Moville is 274 miles and takes about 5 hours 21 minutes via Avenue of the Saints and Highway 20, with a fuel budget near $41 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Iowa, traversing the Midwest region from east to west. You'll primarily be on surface roads, making for a more relaxed pace than a pure interstate journey. With only one recommended stop and a longest stretch of 231 miles on the Avenue of the Saints, this route is manageable for a single day of driving.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
137.1 miles from Iowa City, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 40m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue of the Saints | 231 mi | 4h 23m |
| Highway 20 | 26.5 mi | 31m |
| 160th Street | 6.4 mi | 7m |
| I 80 | 4.1 mi | 4m |
| United States Highway 20 | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| North Dubuque Street | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| South Gilbert Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| South 2nd Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 52 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,955 veh/hr typical · worst 2,469
Quietest
2 AM
~105 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
18.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Iowa City, IA and Moville, IA.
Start on South Gilbert Street
Turn slight left onto Kimball Road
Turn right onto North Dubuque Street
Turn left
Merge onto I 80
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 380; US 218; IA 27
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20; IA 27
Continue on US 20
Continue on US 20
Continue on US 20
Turn right onto Fair Street
Turn left onto East Frontage Road
Turn right onto South 2nd Street
Arrive at destination
Given the 5-hour 21-minute estimated drive time, departing Iowa City in the morning will allow ample time to reach Moville before evening. The route is designed for a single day, so you won't need to plan for an overnight stay. With only one recommended stop, you have flexibility in pacing yourself, but be mindful of the 231-mile stretch on the Avenue of the Saints – plan your fuel and rest stops before you embark on that longer segment. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially as you move away from major highway corridors.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
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 60 miles or 1h 11m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 137.1 miles or 2h 40m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 21m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Moville, IA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Iowa City, 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 Iowa City, IA
This is one driving day of about 274.2 miles and 5h 21m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
137 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 60 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 137.1 miles from Iowa City, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Avenue of the Saints if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 231 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 0.9 and 273.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto North Dubuque Street
Navigation decision point
Take the exit toward I 380, US 218, IA 27
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 380, US 218 North, IA 27 North: Cedar Rapids, Waterloo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Turn right onto South 2nd Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$42.51 one way
$85.02 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $46.61 | $93.23 |
| premium | $4.93 | $53.20 | $106.40 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $60.44 | $120.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$43
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$68–$93
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 95.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 82.3 | 1 | $28.79 | $13.16 |
| Efficient EV | 68.6 | 0 | $23.99 | $10.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 109.7 | 1 | $38.39 | $17.55 |
Gas CO2
96 kg
EV CO2
32 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Friday
Local time
5:41 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Partly Cloudy then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Evening in Moville on Friday
Local time
5:41 PM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Mostly Clear
60°F
Waterloo, IA
137 mi in
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
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This route is mostly surface roads, with only 12% of the drive on highways. You'll experience 231 miles on the Avenue of the Saints before transitioning to other roads like Highway 20 and 160th Street. Expect a rural cruising feel for much of the trip, as the majority of the miles are not on high-speed interstates. The longest continuous stretch without needing to navigate a major highway change is substantial.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near North Dubuque Street.
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 274.2 miles you will encounter 10 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: at 0.9 miles (North Dubuque Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
909 ft
Total Descent
398 ft
Highest Point
1,397 ft
~235 mi in
Elevation Range
730 ft
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
Founded 1889
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 21m. Total distance: 274.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (12%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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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