Iowa City to Orange City is 309 miles and takes about 6h 11m via Avenue of the Saints, with a fuel budget near $55 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Iowa, connecting two Midwest communities. With a mostly surface road profile, expect a more leisurely pace than a pure interstate drive. The route is designed for a single day of travel, making it a straightforward option for getting from point A to point B within the state.
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
154.5 miles from Iowa City, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Avenue of the Saints
231 mi
4h 23m
Highway 20
19 mi
22m
State Highway 140
15.1 mi
20m
County Road L14
7 mi
9m
160th Street
6.4 mi
7m
Lee Avenue
5.4 mi
7m
Kiwi Avenue
5 mi
6m
I 80
4.1 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 231 mi, about 4h 23m
Traffic on I-380
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,943 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,357
Quietest
2 AM
~105 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
18.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 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 Orange City, 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
71 mi·1 hr 18 min·Avenue of the Saints
9
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20; IA 27
160 mi·3 hr 4 min·Avenue of the Saints
10
Continue on US 20
6.4 mi·7 min·160th Street
11
Continue on US 20
1.9 mi·2 min·United States Highway 20
12
Continue on US 20
19 mi·22 min·Highway 20
13
Turn right onto L21
5.4 mi·7 min·Lee Avenue
14
Continue on Shamrock Avenue
2.0 mi·2 min·Shamrock Avenue
15
Turn left onto C66
2.0 mi·2 min·320th Street
16
Turn right onto IA 140
15 mi·20 min·State Highway 140
17
Continue on L14
7.0 mi·9 min·County Road L14
18
Continue on L14
5.0 mi·6 min·Kiwi Avenue
19
At end of road, turn left onto IA 10
1.8 mi·2 min·460th Street
20
Continue on IA 10
0.3 mi·24 sec·State Highway 10
21
Continue on IA 10
0.8 mi·1 min·Kennedy Avenue
22
Turn left onto IA 10
2.0 mi·2 min·450th Street
23
Enter roundabout onto 450th Street
81 ft·4 sec·450th Street
24
Continue on 450th Street
0.7 mi·1 min·450th Street
25
Continue on IA 10
0.2 mi·37 sec·8th Street Southeast
26
Turn right onto Albany Avenue Southeast
0.7 mi·1 min·Albany Avenue Southeast
27
Turn left onto 2nd Street Northeast
430 ft·20 sec·2nd Street Northeast
28
Arrive at destination
2nd Street Northwest
Trip Plan
Given the 6h 11m estimated duration, leaving Iowa City in the morning should allow you to reach Orange City with plenty of daylight to spare. Since this is a single-day drive, you have flexibility with stops. Plan for one main stop to break up the 231-mile stretch on Avenue of the Saints, perhaps around the halfway point. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially as you transition to surface roads where gas stations might be less frequent than on major highways. The $55 fuel cost estimate is helpful for budgeting.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 154.5 miles from Iowa City, IA, or about 3h into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 231 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 68 miles or 1h 20m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 154.5 miles or 3h 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 55m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Orange City, 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 309 miles and 6h 11m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 68 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 Avenue of the Saints for about 231 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 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 6.6 and 302.3 — 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...
4
78.3 mi into trip|~1h 32m in|US 20; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
265.8 mi into trip|~5h 9m in|L21 / Lee Avenue
Turn right onto L21 / Lee Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
302.3 mi into trip|~6h in|IA 10 / 460th Street
At end of road, turn left onto IA 10 / 460th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$51.37 one way
$102.75 round trip
$4.22/gal25.4 MPG avg108 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$55.96
$111.92
premium
$5.18
$63.05
$126.11
diesel
$5.35
$65.08
$130.17
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$51
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$76–$101
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 108.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $32 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
92.7
1
$32.45
$14.83
Efficient EV
77.3
0
$27.04
$12.36
EV Truck/SUV
123.6
1
$43.26
$19.78
Gas CO2
108 kg
EV CO2
36 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Jun 1, 2026
Origin
Iowa City, IA
Afternoon
in Iowa City on Wednesday
Local time
4:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Sunny
E 5 to 10 mph5% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Orange City, IA
Afternoon
in Orange City on Wednesday
Local time
4:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
NNE 0 to 5 mph21% chanceLive forecast
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
1 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
6h 11m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
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 drive is primarily on surface roads, with highways making up only 13% of the total mileage. You'll experience a significant stretch of 231 miles on Avenue of the Saints, which will likely feel like the main segment of your trip. Expect a more rural cruising experience, as the majority of the route involves navigating through towns and countryside rather than high-speed interstate travel. The transition from highway to surface roads will be a noticeable shift in pace.
Only 13% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 231 mi on Avenue of the Saints.
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 15 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 309 miles you will encounter 15 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 78.3 miles (US 20; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 6h 11m. Total distance: 309 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 11m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 231 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 16 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Orange City, IA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 16 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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 78.3 miles (US 20; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.2 hours each way, a round trip means 12.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Orange City, IA before the return drive.
