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Trip from Onawa, IA to Sioux 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

45m

Distance

38.2 mi

62 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 42m ★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Onawa, IA, IA

Onawa, IA

rachid alioun

city ​​in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in Iowa, United States

Sioux City, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking to travel from Onawa to Sioux City, you can expect a quick, efficient journey covering 38.2 miles. Clocking in at approximately 45 minutes, this trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. You can easily budget about $6 for fuel, making this an incredibly cost-effective route within the Midwest. Because the drive is straightforward, it serves as a reliable connection between these two Iowa locations. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a change of scenery, the lack of required stops ensures you can get to your destination without unnecessary delays.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 29 34.6 mi 37m
Iowa Avenue 1 mi 1m
South Floyd Boulevard 0.6 mi 1m
State Highway 175 0.6 mi <1m
Court Street 0.2 mi <1m
9th Street 0.2 mi <1m
6th Street <0.1 mi <1m
5th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 29 — 34.6 mi, about 37m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Onawa, IA and Sioux City, IA.

1

Start on 10th Street

29 ft · 8 sec · 10th Street
2

Turn left onto IA 175

1.0 mi · 1 min · Iowa Avenue
3

Continue on IA 175

0.6 mi · 53 sec · State Highway 175
4

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 58 sec
5

Merge onto I 29

35 mi · 37 min · I 29
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Toward Floyd Boulevard, Virginia Street
7

Turn right onto South Floyd Boulevard

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Floyd Boulevard
Use the right lane.
8

Turn left onto 5th Street

396 ft · 14 sec · 5th Street
9

Turn right onto Iowa Street

346 ft · 7 sec · Iowa Street
10

Keep slight left at fork onto 6th Street

426 ft · 17 sec · 6th Street
Use the left lane.
11

Turn right onto Court Street

0.2 mi · 39 sec · Court Street
12

Turn left onto 9th Street

0.2 mi · 45 sec · 9th Street
13

Turn right

115 ft · 8 sec
14

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Sergeant Bluff, IA, IA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Sergeant Bluff, IA

19 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.

Popular next leg

Sergeant Bluff, IA to Sioux City, IA

7.7 mi · 13m

Pacing Suggestions

South Sioux City, NE

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Sergeant Bluff, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.1 miles from Onawa, 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 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 36.7 and 37.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
36.7 mi into trip | ~41m in

Take the exit toward Floyd Boulevard, Virginia Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Floyd Boulevard, Virginia Street
6
37 mi into trip | ~42m in | South Floyd Boulevard

Turn right onto South Floyd Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
37.6 mi into trip | ~43m in | Iowa Street

Turn right onto Iowa Street

Navigation decision point

7
37.7 mi into trip | ~44m in | 6th Street

Keep slight left at fork onto 6th Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
37.8 mi into trip | ~44m in | Court Street

Turn right onto Court Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.97 one way

$11.94 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.56 $13.11
premium $4.89 $7.35 $14.70
diesel $5.61 $8.43 $16.87

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.5 0 $4.01 $1.83
Efficient EV 9.6 0 $3.34 $1.53
EV Truck/SUV 15.3 0 $5.35 $2.44

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Onawa, IA

Night in Onawa on Saturday

Local time

9:50 PM

CDT

Current temp

72°F

Mostly Sunny

NNW 22 mph 5% chance Live forecast

Tornado Warning

Tornado Warning issued April 17 at 5:35PM CDT until April 17 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 5:35PM CDT until April 17 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

Sioux City, IA

Night in Sioux City on Saturday

Local time

9:50 PM

CDT

Current temp

54°F

Mostly Sunny

NNW 25 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Tornado Warning

Tornado Warning issued April 17 at 5:35PM CDT until April 17 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 5:35PM CDT until April 17 at 6:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

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

18 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

45m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This trip is a quintessential highway-focused drive, with 92% of your time spent on major thoroughfares. You will spend the vast majority of your journey—34.6 miles—cruising along I-29, which provides a consistent and uninterrupted pace. Once you exit the interstate, the transition into Sioux City involves navigating Iowa Avenue and South Floyd Boulevard to reach your final destination. Expect a functional experience behind the wheel rather than a winding backroad adventure. The route is designed for speed and directness, allowing you to maintain a steady rhythm for almost the entire 45-minute duration.

92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 34.6 mi on I 29.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 29 and Iowa Avenue. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 36.7 miles in.

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 38.2 miles you will encounter 10 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 36.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 37 miles (South Floyd Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 37.6 miles (Iowa Street): Navigation decision point.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 38.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 34.6 miles on I 29. 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 36.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 37 miles (South Floyd Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 37.6 miles (Iowa Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Sioux 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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