Marshalltown to Norwalk is 63.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 22 minutes via IA 330, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest, connecting two points in Iowa. It's a straightforward drive, perfect for a single-day excursion. You'll likely find the journey to be a mixed bag of driving experiences, offering a practical way to get from point A to point B without significant detours or extensive planning.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
IA 330
36.4 mi
43m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
14.6 mi
16m
West Lincolnway
2.2 mi
3m
Marshalltown Boulevard
2.1 mi
3m
County Road G14
1.4 mi
2m
Hubbell Avenue
1.3 mi
2m
County Road R63
1.2 mi
2m
North Avenue
1.1 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
IA 330
— 36.4 mi, about 43m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Marshalltown, IA and Norwalk, IA.
1
Start on IA 14
103 ft·5 sec·North 3rd Avenue
2
Turn right onto East Main Street
0.5 mi·58 sec·East Main Street
3
Turn left onto South 3rd Street
0.4 mi·46 sec·South 3rd Street
4
Turn right onto West Madison Street
0.3 mi·32 sec·West Madison Street
5
Turn straight onto West Lincolnway
2.2 mi·3 min·West Lincolnway
6
Continue on Marshalltown Boulevard
2.1 mi·3 min·Marshalltown Boulevard
7
Continue on IA 330
36 mi·43 min·IA 330
8
Continue on US 6
1.3 mi·2 min·Hubbell Avenue
9
Turn left
0.5 mi·1 min
Use the straight / left lanes.
10
Merge onto US 65
15 mi·16 min·Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 96Toward CR R63: Southwest 9th Street
12
Turn left onto CR R63
0.7 mi·1 min·Southwest 9th Street
13
Continue on CR R63
1.2 mi·2 min·County Road R63
14
Turn right onto County Road G14
1.4 mi·2 min·County Road G14
15
Continue on CR G14
1.1 mi·1 min·North Avenue
16
Turn right onto Main Street
82 ft·3 sec·Main Street
17
Arrive at destination
Main Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 31.6 miles from Marshalltown, 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 58.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|East Main Street
Turn right onto East Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|South 3rd Street
Turn left onto South 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
5
43.3 mi into trip|~55m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
58.4 mi into trip|~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward CR R63: Southwest 9th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 96
Toward CR R63: Southwest 9th Street
4
58.9 mi into trip|~1h 14m in|CR R63 / Southwest 9th Street
Turn left onto CR R63 / Southwest 9th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.88 one way
$19.76 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg22 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$10.85
$21.70
premium
$4.89
$12.16
$24.32
diesel
$5.61
$13.95
$27.91
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
19
0
$6.64
$3.03
Efficient EV
15.8
0
$5.53
$2.53
EV Truck/SUV
25.3
0
$8.85
$4.04
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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 Apr 19, 2026
Origin
Marshalltown, IA
Night
in Marshalltown on Saturday
Local time
11:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
32°F
Mostly Clear
W 7 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 8:29PM CDT until April 25 at 11:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 8:24PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Destination
Norwalk, IA
Night
in Norwalk on Saturday
Local time
11:19 PM
CDT
Current temp
35°F
Mostly Clear
WSW 8 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 8:29PM CDT until April 25 at 11:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 8:24PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
69°F
Altoona, IA
32 mi in
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
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 22m 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 drive features a mixed profile, with 58% of the route utilizing highways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 36.4 miles on IA 330, which is also known as the Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway. Expect a blend of faster-paced highway driving and potentially more local road segments as you get closer to your destination. The character of the road will shift, offering variety without demanding constant high attention.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 36.4 mi on IA 330.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Main Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 22m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (South 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 43.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 22m. Total distance: 63.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
The longest stretch is about 36.4 miles on IA 330. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 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.
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: near the start (East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (South 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 43.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Norwalk, IA before heading back.
