Sioux City to Waverly is 224.5 miles and takes about 4h 32m via 220th Street and Highway 20, with a fuel budget near $40 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Iowa, connecting two points in the Midwest region. You'll spend most of your time on surface roads, making for a more relaxed pace compared to interstate driving. With a single day recommended, this trip is ideal for a quick transition between cities, offering a straightforward path without excessive complexity.
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
112.2 miles from Sioux City, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 17m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
220th Street
148.1 mi
2h 50m
Highway 20
39.4 mi
47m
Avenue of the Saints
14.4 mi
17m
United States Highway 20
8.3 mi
10m
University Avenue
3.5 mi
4m
Gordon Drive
3.4 mi
6m
Greenhill Road
1.2 mi
2m
4th Street Southwest
1.2 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
220th Street
— 148.1 mi, about 2h 50m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sioux City, IA and Waverly, 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
148 mi·2 hr 50 min·220th Street
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi·1 min
Toward CR D18: Cedar Falls
13
Turn left onto Grundy Road
1.0 mi·1 min·Grundy Road
14
Continue on University Avenue
3.5 mi·4 min·University Avenue
15
Enter roundabout onto Greenhill Road
8 ft·0 sec·Greenhill Road
16
Continue on Greenhill Road
1.2 mi·2 min·Greenhill Road
17
Turn left onto IA 27; IA 58
14 mi·17 min·Avenue of the Saints
18
Take the exit onto US 218 Business
0.7 mi·1 min·US 218 Business
19
Continue on 4th Avenue Southwest
0.6 mi·59 sec·4th Avenue Southwest
20
Continue on US 218 Business
0.6 mi·1 min·4th Street Southwest
21
Continue on 4th Avenue Southwest
0.2 mi·18 sec·4th Avenue Southwest
22
Turn straight onto US 218 Business
0.6 mi·1 min·4th Street Southwest
23
Turn right onto IA 3
62 ft·2 sec·West Bremer Avenue
24
Arrive at destination
IA 3
Trip Plan
For this single-day drive, leaving in the morning will give you plenty of time to reach Waverly comfortably. The total duration is under 5 hours, so you can easily manage with just one planned stop for fuel or a break. Given the route primarily uses surface roads, watch your speed and be aware of your surroundings. The fuel cost is estimated at $40, so ensure you have enough before departing Sioux City, especially since the longest stretch on a single road is over 148 miles.
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 112.2 miles from Sioux City, IA, or about 2h 17m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 148.1 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 49 miles or 1h 4m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 112.2 miles or 2h 17m 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 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Waverly, 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 224.5 miles and 4h 32m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 49 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 148.1 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 206.1 — 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
5
206.1 mi into trip|~4h 7m in|Greenhill Road
Enter roundabout onto Greenhill Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$37.33 one way
$74.65 round trip
$4.22/gal25.4 MPG avg79 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$40.66
$81.31
premium
$5.18
$45.81
$91.62
diesel
$5.35
$47.29
$94.57
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 78.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
67.4
0
$23.57
$10.78
Efficient EV
56.1
0
$19.64
$8.98
EV Truck/SUV
89.8
1
$31.43
$14.37
Gas CO2
79 kg
EV CO2
26 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 May 31, 2026
Origin
Sioux City, IA
Afternoon
in Sioux City on Wednesday
Local time
3:09 PM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
SE 10 to 15 mph78% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued May 31 at 2:43AM CDT until May 31 at 8:45AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Destination
Waverly, IA
Afternoon
in Waverly on Wednesday
Local time
3:09 PM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
ESE 14 mph23% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued May 31 at 2:43AM CDT until May 31 at 8:45AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
88°F
Somers, IA
112 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
1 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
4h 32m 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 22% of the total distance on highways. You'll encounter a significant stretch of 148.1 miles on 220th Street before transitioning to other roads. Expect more rural cruising and fewer exits compared to an interstate trip. The majority of your time will be spent on local routes, so keep an eye out for varying speed limits and potential agricultural traffic.
Only 22% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 148.1 mi on 220th Street.
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 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 4h 32m 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
1,407 ft876 ft
Total Climb
447 ft
Total Descent
733 ft
Highest Point
1,407 ft
~48.1 mi in
Elevation Range
531 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Sioux City, IA to Waverly, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Cr D18: Cedar Falls along the way.
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 148.1 miles on 220th Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 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 4.5 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.1 hours — manageable with a long break at Waverly, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
