Sioux City, IA to University Heights, IA is 289.9 miles and takes about 5h 42m via Avenue of the Saints, with a fuel budget near $44 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Iowa, traversing the Midwest region. The route primarily uses surface roads, suggesting a more scenic, less highway-focused experience. With a recommended one-day drive, it's a straightforward option for getting between these two points without needing an overnight stay.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
145 miles from Sioux City, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 55m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
220th Street
165.9 mi
3h 11m
Avenue of the Saints
68.3 mi
1h 15m
Highway 20
39.4 mi
47m
United States Highway 20
8.3 mi
10m
Gordon Drive
3.4 mi
6m
Melrose Avenue
2.1 mi
4m
6th Street
0.8 mi
1m
Fairmount Street
0.6 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
220th Street
— 165.9 mi, about 3h 11m
Traffic on I-380
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,943 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,357
Quietest
2 AM
~105 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
18.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sioux City, IA and University Heights, 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
166 mi·3 hr 11 min·220th Street
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380; IA 27
68 mi·1 hr 15 min·Avenue of the Saints
Toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi·46 sec
14
Turn left onto Melrose Avenue
2.1 mi·4 min·Melrose Avenue
15
Turn right onto Sunset Street
259 ft·13 sec·Sunset Street
16
Turn left onto Koser Avenue
0.1 mi·34 sec·Koser Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Koser Avenue
Trip Plan
To make the most of this 5h 42m drive, consider leaving in the morning to allow ample daylight for the predominantly surface road portion. Since it's a single-day trip, you have flexibility with stops, but plan for at least one break. The longest stretch is over 165 miles on 220th Street, so ensure you're comfortable with that segment before departing. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially as you transition away from highways, and budget around $44 for gas.
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 145 miles from Sioux City, IA, or about 2h 55m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 165.9 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 64 miles or 1h 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 145 miles or 2h 55m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 41m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near University Heights, 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 289.9 miles and 5h 42m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 64 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 165.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Home stretch
3.5 mi from route
~9 min detour
$1 to $10
Coralville, Iowa
Hours: 10 am–9 pm
+13196255568
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 219 — 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
4
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|Iowa Street
Turn right onto Iowa Street
Navigation decision point
6
219 mi into trip|~4h 20m in|I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$48.20 one way
$96.40 round trip
$4.22/gal25.4 MPG avg101 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$52.50
$105.00
premium
$5.18
$59.16
$118.31
diesel
$5.35
$61.06
$122.12
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$48
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$73–$98
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 101.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $30 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
87
1
$30.44
$13.92
Efficient EV
72.5
0
$25.37
$11.60
EV Truck/SUV
116
1
$40.59
$18.55
Gas CO2
101 kg
EV CO2
34 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
5:56 PM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Partly Cloudy
0 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Destination
University Heights, IA
Evening
in University Heights on Wednesday
Local time
5:56 PM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Partly Cloudy
E 5 mph14% chanceLive forecast
86°F
Dumont, IA
145 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
3 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
5h 42m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly surface roads, with only 16% on highways. You'll experience a long stretch of 165.9 miles on 220th Street before encountering the Avenue of the Saints. Expect to see more local scenery and potentially navigate through towns, as opposed to high-speed highway cruising. The transition from highway to surface roads will be noticeable as you proceed.
Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 165.9 mi on 220th Street.
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 early in the drive near 9th Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 42m 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: 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.
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
Hip and urban, Iowa City is a prominent college town primarily known as the home of the University of Iowa. Along with its adjacent suburb of Coralville, just to the west. Iowa City sits at the center of a metro area home to 171,000 people (2020) in the I-380 Corridor region of Eastern Iowa.
The longest stretch is about 165.9 miles on 220th Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 16 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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 16 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
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.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.7 hours each way, a round trip means 11.4 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at University Heights, IA before the return drive.
