New Hampton, IA to Dubuque, IA is 130 miles and takes about 2 hours 42 minutes via US 20 and US 18, with a fuel budget near $20 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest, primarily traversing the state of Iowa. The route is mostly highway driving, making it a straightforward and efficient option. With only one recommended stop and a relatively short duration, you can easily complete this drive in a single day. It's a practical choice for getting from point A to point B without a lot of 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
65.1 miles from New Hampton, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 23m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 20
81.4 mi
1h 36m
US 18
35.9 mi
44m
Dubuque Road
5.4 mi
7m
McCloud Avenue
1.9 mi
3m
Franklin Street
1.4 mi
2m
South Linn Avenue
1.1 mi
1m
South Raymond Road
0.7 mi
1m
Avenue of the Saints
0.7 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
US 20
— 81.4 mi, about 1h 36m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Hampton, IA and Dubuque, IA.
1
Start on US 63 Business
1.1 mi·1 min·South Linn Avenue
2
Continue on US 63 Business
1.9 mi·3 min·McCloud Avenue
3
Turn right onto 235th Street
0.1 mi·19 sec·235th Street
4
Turn left onto US 18; US 63
36 mi·44 min·US 18; US 63
5
Turn left onto Franklin Street
1.4 mi·2 min·Franklin Street
6
Continue on Dubuque Road
5.4 mi·7 min·Dubuque Road
7
Turn slight right
197 ft·7 sec
8
Turn straight onto CR V49
0.4 mi·39 sec·South 3rd Street
9
Continue on CR V49
0.7 mi·1 min·South Raymond Road
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·44 sec
11
Merge onto I 380; US 20; IA 27
0.7 mi·45 sec·Avenue of the Saints
12
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20
81 mi·1 hr 36 min·US 20
13
Turn left onto IA 946
0.1 mi·18 sec·South Locust Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn straight onto IA 946
0.1 mi·20 sec·IA 946
Toward IA 946
15
At end of road, turn left onto US 61; US 151
418 ft·13 sec·US 61; US 151
Use the left lane.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi·32 sec
Exit 189AToward White Street, Port of Dubuque
17
Continue on White Street
0.1 mi·27 sec·White Street
18
Turn left onto East 7th Street
284 ft·19 sec·East 7th Street
19
Turn left onto Central Avenue
31 ft·1 sec·Central Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
Central Avenue
Trip Plan
Since this 130-mile drive takes under 3 hours, you have a lot of flexibility with your departure time. Leaving in the morning is ideal, allowing you to arrive in Dubuque with plenty of the day to spare. The route has one recommended stop, so you can choose to either make a quick break or push through without one. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is around $20, and it's always wise to top off before heading out, especially since the longest stretch without a likely town is over 80 miles on US 20.
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 65.1 miles from New Hampton, IA, or about 1h 23m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 81.4 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 29 miles or 37m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 65.1 miles or 1h 23m 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 13m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dubuque, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving New Hampton, 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 New Hampton, IA
This is one driving day of about 130.1 miles and 2h 42m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 miles from New Hampton, 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 US 20 for about 81.4 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 3 and 130.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
3 mi into trip|~5m in|235th Street
Turn right onto 235th Street
Navigation decision point
6
129.6 mi into trip|~2h 41m in|US 61; US 151
At end of road, turn left onto US 61; US 151
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
129.7 mi into trip|~2h 41m in
Take the exit toward White Street, Port of Dubuque
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 189A
Toward White Street, Port of Dubuque
5
130.1 mi into trip|~2h 42m in|East 7th Street
Turn left onto East 7th Street
Navigation decision point
5
130.1 mi into trip|~2h 42m in|Central Avenue
Turn left onto Central Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$20.34 one way
$40.68 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg46 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$22.33
$44.66
premium
$4.89
$25.04
$50.07
diesel
$5.61
$28.72
$57.45
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 45.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
39
0
$13.66
$6.24
Efficient EV
32.5
0
$11.38
$5.20
EV Truck/SUV
52
0
$18.21
$8.33
Gas CO2
46 kg
EV CO2
15 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 Apr 19, 2026
Origin
New Hampton, IA
Late night
in New Hampton on Tuesday
Local time
5:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Sunny
NW 16 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 2:39PM CDT until April 20 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 19 at 11:39AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Destination
Dubuque, IA
Late night
in Dubuque on Tuesday
Local time
5:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Mostly Sunny
NW 10 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 2:39PM CDT until April 20 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 19 at 11:39AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
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
2 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
2h 42m 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?
You'll spend about 90% of this trip on highways, with the bulk of your time on US 20. The longest continuous stretch on a major highway is 81.4 miles along US 20. After that, you'll transition to US 18 and then Dubuque Road for the final leg. Expect a fairly rural cruising experience for most of the drive, with fewer dense exit areas until you approach Dubuque.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 81.4 mi on US 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 20 and US 18. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 3 miles in near 235th 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 2h 42m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3 miles (235th Street): Navigation decision point; at 129.6 miles (US 61; US 151): Lane positioning matters here; at 129.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Dubuque, founded in 1833, is the oldest city in Iowa. A port on the upper Mississippi River, it is situated along scenic bluffs facing the river, and has its roots in a mining and trading settlement established in the area by Quebec-born entrepreneur Julien Dubuque in 1788. The city's population is 57,686 (2000 Census), and the estimated population of the Dubuque metropolitan area is 93,072.
The longest stretch is about 81.4 miles on US 20. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 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, 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 3 miles (235th Street): Navigation decision point; at 129.6 miles (US 61; US 151): Lane positioning matters here; at 129.7 miles: 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 Dubuque, IA before heading back.
