Sioux City, IA to Slater, IA is 192 miles and takes about 3h 49m via Highway 20 and I-35, with a fuel budget near $34 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest, offering a straightforward drive across Iowa. With a mixed highway and surface road profile, expect a blend of faster travel and more local cruising. This route is well-suited for a single day of driving, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stop. Consider this a practical option if you're looking for an efficient way to travel between these two points in Iowa.
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
96 miles from Sioux City, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 58m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
220th Street
93.4 mi
1h 47m
Highway 20
39.4 mi
47m
I 35
39 mi
42m
United States Highway 20
8.3 mi
10m
State Highway 210
4.4 mi
6m
Gordon Drive
3.4 mi
6m
6th Street
0.8 mi
1m
330th Street
0.8 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
220th Street
— 93.4 mi, about 1h 47m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sioux City, IA and Slater, IA.
1
Start on this road
115 ft·13 sec·this road
2
Turn left onto 9th Street
0.2 mi·45 sec·9th Street
3
Turn right onto Court Street
0.1 mi·26 sec·Court Street
4
Turn left onto 7th Street
399 ft·19 sec·7th Street
5
Turn right onto Iowa Street
423 ft·23 sec·Iowa Street
6
Turn left onto 6th Street
0.8 mi·1 min·6th Street
7
Continue on Fairmount Street
0.6 mi·1 min·Fairmount Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Turn left onto US 20 Business
3.4 mi·6 min·Gordon Drive
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on US 20
39 mi·47 min·Highway 20
Use the right lane.
10
Continue on US 20
8.3 mi·10 min·United States Highway 20
11
Continue on US 20
93 mi·1 hr 47 min·220th Street
12
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
13
Merge onto I 35
39 mi·42 min·I 35
14
Take the exit
0.4 mi·51 sec
Toward IA 210: Huxley, Maxwell
15
Turn right onto IA 210
4.4 mi·6 min·State Highway 210
16
Continue on IA 210
0.8 mi·1 min·330th Street
17
Continue on IA 210
0.3 mi·27 sec·East 6th Avenue
18
Turn left onto South Linn Street
32 ft·0 sec·South Linn Street
19
Arrive at destination
South Linn Street
Trip Plan
Given this route takes under 4 hours, you can easily complete it in a single day. Leaving Sioux City in the morning will give you ample time to arrive in Slater well before evening. With only one recommended stop and a relatively short driving time, flexibility is key; you can decide on your break timing as you go. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially during the initial 93.4 miles on 220th Street, as services might be less frequent on this stretch compared to the interstate portion. The estimated fuel cost of $34 is a good budget to keep in mind for this 192-mile trip.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 96 miles from Sioux City, IA, or about 1h 58m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 93.4 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 42 miles or 55m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 96 miles or 1h 58m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 9m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Slater, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Sioux City, 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 Sioux City, IA
This is one driving day of about 192 miles and 3h 49m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 42 miles from Sioux City, 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 220th Street for about 93.4 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 0 and 192 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|9th Street
Turn left onto 9th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~1m in|Court Street
Turn right onto Court Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|7th Street
Turn left onto 7th Street
Navigation decision point
5
186.2 mi into trip|~3h 40m in
Take the exit toward IA 210: Huxley, Maxwell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IA 210: Huxley, Maxwell
5
192 mi into trip|~3h 49m in|South Linn Street
Turn left onto South Linn Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$31.92 one way
$63.84 round trip
$4.22/gal25.4 MPG avg67 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$34.77
$69.54
premium
$5.18
$39.18
$78.36
diesel
$5.35
$40.44
$80.88
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 67.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $20 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
57.6
0
$20.16
$9.22
Efficient EV
48
0
$16.80
$7.68
EV Truck/SUV
76.8
0
$26.88
$12.29
Gas CO2
67 kg
EV CO2
22 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 Jun 1, 2026
Origin
Sioux City, IA
Evening
in Sioux City on Wednesday
Local time
5:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SE 0 to 5 mph45% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Slater, IA
Evening
in Slater on Wednesday
Local time
5:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Mostly Cloudy
E 7 mph12% chanceLive forecast
87°F
Newell, IA
96 mi in
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
4 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
3h 49m 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?
The drive begins with a 93.4-mile stretch on 220th Street, which is a surface road, before transitioning to Highway 20. Approximately 47% of the total 192 miles will be on highways, meaning you'll experience a significant portion of rural cruising. After Highway 20, you'll merge onto I-35 for the remainder of the trip. Expect the exits to become more frequent as you approach I-35.
47% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 93.4 mi on 220th Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 9th 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 3h 49m 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: near the start (9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Court Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (7th Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,420 ft882 ft
Total Climb
476 ft
Total Descent
638 ft
Highest Point
1,420 ft
~41.1 mi in
Elevation Range
538 ft
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
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.
Top landmarks
•Sergeant Floyd — museum boat in Sioux City, Iowa, United States
•Woodbury County Courthouse — county courthouse in Sioux City, United States of America
•St. Boniface Catholic Church — church building in Sioux City, United States of America
The longest stretch is about 93.4 miles on 220th Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 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: near the start (9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Court Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (7th Street): Navigation decision point.
Possible but tiring. At 3.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.6 hours — manageable with a long break at Slater, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
