Origin
Mason City, IA
Night in Mason City on Saturday
Local time
11:26 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mason City, IA to Nevada, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 52m
Distance
97.6 mi
157 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 44m
★
6 AM
1h 52m
8 AM
2h 9m
10 AM
1h 58m
12 PM
1h 56m
3 PM
1h 59m
5 PM
2h 8m
8 PM
1h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mason City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Nevada, IA
Stephan Müller
Trip Overview
Mason City, IA to Nevada, IA is 97.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 52 minutes via I 35 and US 30, with a fuel budget near $15 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive keeps you within Iowa, moving you from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. It's a short, efficient trip primarily on major highways, making it a practical choice for a quick journey. If you're looking for a simple transit between these two points without much fuss, this route offers exactly that.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
48.8 miles from Mason City, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 57m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 78.6 mi | 1h 24m |
| US 30 | 6.1 mi | 7m |
| Avenue of the Saints | 3.5 mi | 3m |
| 19th Street Southwest | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Mallard Avenue | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| North Monroe Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| South 6th Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| South Eisenhower Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 78.6 mi, about 1h 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mason City, IA and Nevada, IA.
1
Start on 2nd Street Northeast
24 ft
·
6 sec
·
2nd Street Northeast
2
Turn left onto North Federal Avenue
328 ft
·
16 sec
·
North Federal Avenue
3
Turn right onto 1st Street Northwest
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
1st Street Northwest
4
Turn left onto North Monroe Avenue
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
North Monroe Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Turn right onto 19th Street Southwest
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
19th Street Southwest
6
Turn left onto South Eisenhower Avenue
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
·
South Eisenhower Avenue
7
Continue on Mallard Avenue
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Mallard Avenue
8
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
9
Merge onto US 18; IA 27
3.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Avenue of the Saints
10
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
11
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
·
this road
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
12
Merge onto I 35
79 mi
·
1 hr 24 min
·
I 35
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
Toward US 30 East: Nevada
14
Merge onto US 30
6.1 mi
·
7 min
·
US 30
15
Take the exit
154 ft
·
4 sec
16
Continue on South 6th Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
South 6th Street
17
At end of road, turn right onto South 6th Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South 6th Street
18
Turn left onto E41
30 ft
·
0 sec
·
Lincoln Highway
19
Arrive at destination
E41
Trip Plan
Given the relatively short duration of 1 hour and 52 minutes, this route is easily manageable in a single day. You can leave any time of day and still arrive with plenty of daylight. With no designated stops and a fuel cost estimated at $15, planning is minimal. However, pay attention to your fuel gauge before departing Mason City, as the longest stretch on I 35 is substantial at 78.6 miles, and you'll want to ensure you have enough gas to reach Nevada without needing to exit prematurely.
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 48.8 miles from Mason City, IA, or about 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 78.6 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 21 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 48.8 miles or 57m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Nevada, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Mason City, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Mason City, IA
This is one driving day of about 97.6 miles and 1h 52m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Mason City, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 35 for about 78.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
49 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 21 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 48.8 miles from Mason City, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 35 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 78.6 miles.
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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 90 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Federal Avenue
Turn left onto North Federal Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
1st Street Northwest
Turn right onto 1st Street Northwest
Navigation decision point
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North Monroe Avenue
Turn left onto North Monroe Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
10 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward I 35 South: Des Moines
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
4
90 mi into trip
|
~1h 41m in
Take the exit toward US 30 East: Nevada
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 30 East: Nevada
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.26 one way
$30.52 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
34 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $16.75 | $33.51 |
| premium | $4.89 | $18.78 | $37.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $21.55 | $43.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$15
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$40–$65
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 34.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 29.3 | 0 | $10.25 | $4.68 |
| Efficient EV | 24.4 | 0 | $8.54 | $3.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 39 | 0 | $13.66 | $6.25 |
Gas CO2
34 kg
EV CO2
11 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.
Destination
Nevada, IA
Night in Nevada on Saturday
Local time
11:26 PM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live 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
21 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
1h 52m 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?
Expect a highway-focused drive for this trip, with 87% of the journey on interstates and major roads. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 78.6 miles on I 35, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of your drive. The route is largely characterized by this main highway corridor, providing a direct and predictable experience. While it's predominantly interstate, the overall feel is one of efficient travel rather than varied scenic changes.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 78.6 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and US 30. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Federal Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 97.6 miles you will encounter 14 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: near the start (North Federal Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (1st Street Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (North Monroe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Mason City, IA
Full guide →Mason City is a city in Iowa, renowned for its collection of architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright and other Prairie School architects, considered the most significant concentration of such architecture outside of Oak Park, Illinois.
Arriving in Nevada, IA
Full guide →Nevada is an arid state of the US, lying between California and Utah. Most of the state is within the Great Basin, but parts of the northeast drain into the Snake River and the southern portion is within the Mohave Desert and the Colorado river drainage. While many outsiders pronounce the state's name as "ne-VAH-duh", the correct local pronunciation is [nəˈvædə], with a short "a" as in apple. Although the majority of tourists only visit Las Vegas, Reno and Tahoe to gamble, watch shows, and indulge themselves in food and drink, Nevada offers the more discerning traveler western frontier experiences verging on horse opera cliché, and landscapes utterly different from Europe, East Asia or more populated parts of North America.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 52m. Total distance: 97.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 78.6 miles on I 35. 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: near the start (North Federal Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (1st Street Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (North Monroe Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Nevada, 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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