Iowa City to Ogden is 148.1 miles and takes about 2 hours 58 minutes via Kimball Road, North Dubuque Street, and I-380, with a fuel budget near $23 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within the Midwest, crossing from one part of Iowa to another. Since it's primarily surface roads, expect a more local driving experience compared to a pure interstate trip. With only one recommended stop and a drive time under three hours, this is a straightforward trip perfect for a single day's travel, offering a practical way to get from point A to point B without much fuss.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
74 miles from Iowa City, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 30m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Lincoln Highway
78.3 mi
1h 30m
US 218
33.7 mi
39m
Avenue of the Saints
16 mi
17m
220th Street
11.6 mi
14m
I 80
4.1 mi
4m
North Dubuque Street
1.2 mi
3m
South Gilbert Street
0.8 mi
2m
South 1st Street
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Lincoln Highway
— 78.3 mi, about 1h 30m
Traffic on I-380
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,524 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,044
Quietest
2 AM
~145 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
17.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 65 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Iowa City, IA and Ogden, IA.
1
Start on South Gilbert Street
0.8 mi·2 min·South Gilbert Street
2
Turn slight left onto Kimball Road
477 ft·22 sec·Kimball Road
3
Turn right onto North Dubuque Street
1.2 mi·3 min·North Dubuque Street
4
Turn left
0.4 mi·58 sec
5
Merge onto I 80
4.1 mi·4 min·I 80
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi·45 sec
Toward I 380, US 218, IA 27
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 380, US 218 North, IA 27 North: Cedar Rapids, Waterloo
8
Merge onto I 380; US 218; IA 27
16 mi·17 min·Avenue of the Saints
9
Take the exit onto US 218
34 mi·39 min·US 218
Toward US 30 West, US 151 South, US 218 North: Tama
10
Continue on US 30
78 mi·1 hr 30 min·Lincoln Highway
11
Continue on US 30
12 mi·14 min·220th Street
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi·1 min
13
Turn right onto South 1st Street
0.5 mi·1 min·South 1st Street
14
Turn right onto CR E41
87 ft·2 sec·East Walnut Street
15
Arrive at destination
CR E41
Trip Plan
Given the total drive time of just under 3 hours, you can comfortably start your trip anytime in the morning and still arrive well before evening. The route is only 148.1 miles, so you won't need to plan for overnight stays. With only one suggested stop, you have plenty of flexibility to decide when and where to take breaks, perhaps stopping in a town along the way for a quick meal or stretch. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is around $23, and plan your last fill-up before heading out from Iowa City.
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 74 miles from Iowa City, IA, or about 1h 30m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 78.3 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 33 miles or 42m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 74 miles or 1h 30m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 24m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ogden, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
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 148.1 miles and 2h 58m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 33 miles from Iowa City, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Lincoln Highway for about 78.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 6.6 and 148 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
6.6 mi into trip|~11m in
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
Toward I 380, US 218, IA 27
6
6.9 mi into trip|~12m in
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
Toward I 380, US 218 North, IA 27 North: Cedar...
5
23.5 mi into trip|~30m in|US 218
Take the exit onto US 218 toward US 30 West, US 151 South, US 218 North: Tama
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 30 West, US 151 South, US 218 North:...
4
147.5 mi into trip|~2h 56m in|South 1st Street
Turn right onto South 1st Street
Navigation decision point
4
148 mi into trip|~2h 57m in|CR E41 / East Walnut Street
Turn right onto CR E41 / East Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$24.13 one way
$48.25 round trip
$4.14/gal25.4 MPG avg52 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.44
$25.90
$51.80
premium
$5.03
$29.33
$58.66
diesel
$6.07
$35.39
$70.78
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$24
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$49–$74
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $16 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
44.4
0
$15.55
$7.11
Efficient EV
37
0
$12.96
$5.92
EV Truck/SUV
59.2
0
$20.73
$9.48
Gas CO2
52 kg
EV CO2
17 kg (67% 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.
Forecast as of Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Iowa City, IA
Morning
in Iowa City on Monday
Local time
9:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Mostly Clear
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Ogden, IA
Morning
in Ogden on Monday
Local time
9:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Partly Cloudy
SSE 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
69°F
Toledo, IA
74 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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
2h 58m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This 148.1-mile drive is almost entirely on surface roads, with 0% highway share. You'll begin on Kimball Road and North Dubuque Street before merging onto I-380. The interstate portion is brief, and you'll quickly transition back to surface roads for the majority of your travel. Expect a steady pace without the frequent acceleration and deceleration of continuous highway driving, as you'll be navigating through towns and rural areas.
Only 26% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 78.3 mi on Lincoln Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
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 6.6 miles in.
Driving Effort5/10
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 148.1 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 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; at 23.5 miles (US 218): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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
•University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art — museum in Iowa City, Iowa
•Vogt House — historic building located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States
•First Johnson County Asylum — historic building located on the far west side of Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 58m. Total distance: 148.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (26%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 78.3 miles on Lincoln Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: 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; at 23.5 miles (US 218): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ogden, IA before heading back.
