Origin
Rock Valley, IA
Late night in Rock Valley on Sunday
Local time
5:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rock Valley, 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
1h 20m
Distance
53.8 mi
87 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 14m
★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 33m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 25m
5 PM
1h 32m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rock Valley, IA
Roberto Lee Cortes
Sioux City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 53.8-mile drive from Rock Valley, IA to Sioux City, IA is a straightforward, one-day adventure, taking approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with County Road K22 being a significant portion of your journey. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $8, this trip is an economical choice for a quick getaway or a convenient transfer between towns. The route stays within the Midwest region, offering a familiar landscape. Given its short duration, it's perfectly suited for a single-day excursion without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| County Road K22 | 23.4 mi | 32m |
| Elmwood Avenue | 7.8 mi | 10m |
| Dipper Avenue | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| Eagle Avenue | 6 mi | 8m |
| 450th Street | 3 mi | 4m |
| Jackson Street | 2.2 mi | 5m |
| Hamilton Boulevard | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| 390th Street | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
County Road K22
— 23.4 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rock Valley, IA and Sioux City, IA.
1
Start on 15th Street
28 ft
·
3 sec
·
15th Street
2
Turn right onto CR K30
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
16th Avenue
3
Continue on CR K30
7.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Elmwood Avenue
4
Turn right onto CR B40; CR K30
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
390th Street
5
Turn left onto CR K30
6.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Eagle Avenue
6
Turn right onto IA 10
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
450th Street
7
Turn left onto CR K22
6.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Dipper Avenue
8
Continue on County Road K22
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
County Road K22
9
Continue on IA 3; CR K22
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
State Highway 3
10
Continue on County Road K22
16 mi
·
22 min
·
County Road K22
11
Continue on Hamilton Boulevard
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Hamilton Boulevard
12
Turn left onto 36th Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
36th Street
Use the left lane.
13
Turn right onto Jackson Street
2.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Jackson Street
14
Turn left onto 9th Street
517 ft
·
28 sec
·
9th Street
15
Turn left
115 ft
·
8 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.9 miles from Rock Valley, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 53.7 — 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
|
CR K30 / 16th Avenue
Turn right onto CR K30 / 16th Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
8.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
CR B40; CR K30 / 390th Street
Turn right onto CR B40; CR K30 / 390th Street
Navigation decision point
4
9.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
CR K30 / Eagle Avenue
Turn left onto CR K30 / Eagle Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
51 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
|
36th Street
Turn left onto 36th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
53.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.41 one way
$16.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.23 | $18.47 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.35 | $20.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.88 | $23.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.65 | $2.58 |
| Efficient EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.71 | $2.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.5 | 0 | $7.53 | $3.44 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Sioux City, IA
Late night in Sioux City on Sunday
Local time
5:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°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
27 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 20m 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 on this route, with a highway share of only 2%. The personality of this journey is more about navigating county roads than cruising on interstates. You'll encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch of 23.4 miles on County Road K22, offering a consistent local road experience for a significant portion of the trip. The drive is characterized by frequent turns, suggesting a more winding and potentially less direct path compared to a highway route, keeping you engaged behind the wheel.
Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.4 mi on County Road K22.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 early in the drive near CR K30 / 16th Avenue.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 20m 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 (CR K30 / 16th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles (CR B40; CR K30 / 390th Street): Navigation decision point; at 9.4 miles (CR K30 / Eagle Avenue): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Sioux City, IA
Full guide →Sioux City is on the western edge of the state of Iowa. It is on the Missouri River and many parts of Sioux City are among the unique Loess Hills formations.
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 20m. Total distance: 53.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (2%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.4 miles on County Road K22. 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 (CR K30 / 16th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles (CR B40; CR K30 / 390th Street): Navigation decision point; at 9.4 miles (CR K30 / Eagle Avenue): 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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