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Trip from Rockwell, IA to Ventura, IA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

36m

Distance

25.7 mi

41 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Fair

2 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m

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

Best Time
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Download GPX
Downtown Rockwell, IA, IA

Rockwell, IA

César+Mirna Choto

Downtown Ventura, IA, IA

Ventura, IA

Arturo Añez.

Trip Overview

Rockwell, IA to Ventura, IA is 25.7 miles and takes about 36m via Avenue of the Saints and US 18, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip keeps you within the Midwest, specifically within Iowa, making it an easy local excursion. You'll primarily navigate through rural landscapes on a mix of main roads and local avenues. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a spontaneous drive or as a segment of a larger Iowa adventure, offering a straightforward journey with minimal time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Avenue of the Saints 9 mi 10m
Partridge Avenue 8.2 mi 11m
US 18 5.1 mi 7m
4th Avenue South 1.2 mi 1m
South 8th Street 0.7 mi 1m
Elm Street West 0.4 mi 1m
I 35 Business 0.3 mi <1m
North Main Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Avenue of the Saints — 9 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rockwell, IA and Ventura, IA.

1

Start on Main Street East

368 ft · 18 sec · Main Street East
2

Turn right onto Oak Street North

0.1 mi · 38 sec · Oak Street North
3

Turn left onto Elm Street West

0.4 mi · 1 min · Elm Street West
4

Turn right onto US 65

8.2 mi · 11 min · Partridge Avenue
5

Turn left

0.4 mi · 53 sec
6

Merge onto US 18; IA 27

9.0 mi · 10 min · Avenue of the Saints
7

Take the exit onto I 35 Business

0.3 mi · 40 sec · I 35 Business
Toward I 35 Business, CR B35: Clear Lake, Mason City
8

Turn left onto I 35 Business

1.2 mi · 1 min · 4th Avenue South
9

Turn right onto I 35 Business

0.7 mi · 1 min · South 8th Street
10

Turn left onto US 18

5.1 mi · 7 min · US 18
11

Turn left onto CR S14

0.2 mi · 24 sec · North Main Street
12

Arrive at destination

South Main Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 18.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Oak Street North

Turn right onto Oak Street North

Navigation decision point

4
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | Elm Street West

Turn left onto Elm Street West

Navigation decision point

4
0.6 mi into trip | ~2m in | US 65 / Partridge Avenue

Turn right onto US 65 / Partridge Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
8.8 mi into trip | ~13m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

5
18.2 mi into trip | ~24m in | I 35 Business

Take the exit onto I 35 Business toward I 35 Business, CR B35: Clear Lake, Mason City

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

Toward I 35 Business, CR B35: Clear Lake, Mason...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.80 one way

$7.59 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $4.19 $8.38
premium $4.72 $4.77 $9.54
diesel $4.80 $4.85 $9.71

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.7 0 $2.70 $1.23
Efficient EV 6.4 0 $2.25 $1.03
EV Truck/SUV 10.3 0 $3.60 $1.64

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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 Jul 18, 2026

Origin

Rockwell, IA

Evening in Rockwell on Monday

Local time

8:00 PM

CDT

Current temp

86°F

Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny

NNE 5 to 8 mph 26% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:35AM CDT until July 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:35AM CDT until July 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

Ventura, IA

Evening in Ventura on Monday

Local time

8:00 PM

CDT

Current temp

86°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny

N 8 mph 23% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:35AM CDT until July 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:35AM CDT until July 18 at 7:00PM 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

36m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with only 21% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The drive will feel like navigating through familiar county roads, with frequent turns guiding you through the Iowa landscape. It's less about cruising on an open highway and more about engaging with the local road network.

Only 21% 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: 9 mi on Avenue of the Saints.

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 0.1 miles in near Oak Street North.

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 36m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Oak Street North): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Elm Street West): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (US 65 / Partridge Avenue): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,263 ft 1,119 ft

Total Climb

183 ft

Total Descent

39 ft

Highest Point

1,263 ft

~25.7 mi in

Elevation Range

144 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Rockwell, IA and Ventura, IA, road signs point toward Cr B35: Clear Lake and Mason City.

Cr B35: Clear Lake

18.2 mi in | ~24m | via I 35 Business

Mason City

18.2 mi in | ~24m | via I 35 Business

Detours Along the Way

Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.

Gyro Place

Restaurant

Later in the drive, right off the route

28min in 0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour

Cuisine: greek;mexican

Hours: Mo 11:00-15:00; Tu-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr-Sa...

Subway

Fast_food

Later in the drive, right off the route

28min in 0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour

Clear Lake, IA

Cuisine: sandwich

Hours: 08:00-21:00

Visit website

The Surfside

Restaurant

Later in the drive, right off the route

28min in 0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour

Clear Lake, IA

Arby's

Fast_food

Later in the drive, short detour

28min in 1.2 mi from route ~3 min detour

Clear Lake, IA

Cuisine: sandwich

Hours: 10:00-22:00

Visit website

Bennigans

Restaurant

Later in the drive, right off the route

28min in 0.9 mi from route ~2 min detour

Clear Lake

Cuisine: american

Subway

Fast_food

Later in the drive, short detour

28min in 1.1 mi from route ~3 min detour

Clear Lake

Cuisine: sandwich

McIntosh Woods State Park Campground

Camp_site

Near the end, right off the route

36min in 1 mi from route ~2 min detour

Clear Lake State Park Campground

Camp_site

Later in the drive, short detour

24min in 2 mi from route ~5 min detour

National Register of Historic Places

Memorial

Later in the drive, right off the route

28min in 0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour

Three Stars Monument

Monument

Later in the drive, right off the route

28min in 0.6 mi from route ~2 min detour

Civil War Monument

Memorial

Early in the drive, ~9 min detour

12min in 3.5 mi from route ~9 min detour

Veteran's Memorial

Memorial

Early in the drive, ~9 min detour

12min in 3.5 mi from route ~9 min detour

Fairfield Inn & Suites

Hotel

Later in the drive, short detour

28min in 1.4 mi from route ~4 min detour

Clear Lake, IA

Visit website

McIntosh Woods State Park Campground

Camp_site

Near the end, right off the route

36min in 1 mi from route ~2 min detour

Clear Lake State Park Campground

Camp_site

Later in the drive, short detour

24min in 2 mi from route ~5 min detour

Hampton Inn

Hotel

Around the midpoint, short detour

16min in 3 mi from route ~8 min detour

Mason City, IA

Visit website

Country Inn & Suites

Hotel

Around the midpoint, short detour

16min in 3.1 mi from route ~8 min detour

Mason City, IA

Visit website

Econo Lodge Inn & Suites

Motel

Early in the drive, short detour

12min in 3.2 mi from route ~8 min detour

Mason City, IA

Visit website

Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.

About the Cities

Starting in Rockwell, IA

Full guide →

Arriving in Ventura, IA

Full guide →

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 36m. Total distance: 25.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (21%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 2 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. 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 0.1 miles (Oak Street North): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Elm Street West): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (US 65 / Partridge Avenue): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ventura, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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