Origin
North Liberty, IA
Morning in North Liberty on Sunday
Local time
8:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Liberty, IA to Iowa City, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
8 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Liberty, IA
Willian Justen de Vasconcellos
Iowa City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 8-mile drive from North Liberty, IA to Iowa City, IA will take you about 18 minutes, making it a perfect quick trip within the Midwest. You won't be spending much on fuel, with an estimated cost of just $1. The route primarily uses local roads like North Liberty Road Northeast and North Dubuque Street, with no highway driving involved. Given its brevity, this journey is easily accomplished in a single day, and you won't need to plan for an overnight stay. It's a straightforward local drive that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Liberty Road Northeast | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| North Dubuque Street | 2.4 mi | 6m |
| Dubuque Street Northeast | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East Oakdale Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| North Gilbert Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Kimball Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Gilbert Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
North Liberty Road Northeast
— 2.5 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Liberty, IA and Iowa City, IA.
1
Start on North Dubuque Street
1.4 mi
·
4 min
·
North Dubuque Street
2
Continue on Dubuque Street Northeast
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Dubuque Street Northeast
3
Enter roundabout onto North Liberty Road Northeast
23 ft
·
0 sec
·
North Liberty Road Northeast
4
Continue on North Liberty Road Northeast
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Liberty Road Northeast
5
Enter roundabout onto North Liberty Road Northeast
192 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Liberty Road Northeast
6
Continue on North Liberty Road Northeast
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
North Liberty Road Northeast
7
Turn left onto East Oakdale Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
East Oakdale Boulevard
8
At end of road, turn right onto CR W66
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Dubuque Street Northeast
9
Continue on North Dubuque Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Dubuque Street
10
Turn left onto Kimball Road
477 ft
·
21 sec
·
Kimball Road
11
Keep slight right at fork onto North Gilbert Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
North Gilbert Street
12
Arrive at destination
South Gilbert Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 7.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
North Liberty Road Northeast
Enter roundabout onto North Liberty Road Northeast
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
North Liberty Road Northeast
Enter roundabout onto North Liberty Road Northeast
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
3
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
North Liberty Road Northeast
Right onto North Liberty Road Northeast
Navigation decision point
4
5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CR W66 / Dubuque Street Northeast
At end of road, turn right onto CR W66 / Dubuque Street Northeast
Navigation decision point
4
7.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
North Gilbert Street
Keep slight right at fork onto North Gilbert Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.25 one way
$2.50 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.37 | $2.75 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.54 | $3.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.77 | $3.53 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.84 | $0.38 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.70 | $0.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.12 | $0.51 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Destination
Iowa City, IA
Morning in Iowa City on Sunday
Local time
8:35 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
23 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
18m 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 turn-heavy local drive for the entirety of this 8-mile journey. You'll navigate through familiar townscapes and residential areas, so keep an eye out for frequent turns. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 2.5 miles on North Liberty Road Northeast before transitioning onto other local arteries like North Dubuque Street and Dubuque Street Northeast. With a 0% highway share, this route offers a grounded, everyday driving experience rather than a high-speed transit.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.5 mi on North Liberty Road Northeast.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near North Liberty Road Northeast.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (North Liberty Road Northeast): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.2 miles (North Liberty Road Northeast): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.3 miles (North Liberty Road Northeast): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.5 miles on North Liberty Road Northeast. 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: at 1.6 miles (North Liberty Road Northeast): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.2 miles (North Liberty Road Northeast): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.3 miles (North Liberty Road Northeast): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Iowa City, 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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