Thornton to Ventura is 22.5 miles and takes about 30 minutes via I 35 and US 18, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Iowa's Midwest region, offering a straightforward drive. It's perfect for a quick hop between two points without much fuss. You'll spend most of your time on major highways, making it an efficient journey. Consider this route if you need to get from point A to point B quickly and don't require extensive sightseeing.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 35
12.7 mi
13m
US 18
5.1 mi
7m
125th Street
1.5 mi
3m
4th Avenue South
1.2 mi
1m
South 8th Street
0.7 mi
1m
I 35 Business
0.3 mi
<1m
Larch Street
0.3 mi
<1m
North Main Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 35
— 12.7 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thornton, IA and Ventura, IA.
1
Start on 5th Street North
90 ft·9 sec·5th Street North
2
Turn left onto Larch Street
0.3 mi·29 sec·Larch Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto 1st Street South
227 ft·11 sec·1st Street South
4
Turn left onto Ash Street East
0.1 mi·18 sec·Ash Street East
5
Continue on CR B65
1.5 mi·3 min·125th Street
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·39 sec
7
Merge onto I 35
13 mi·13 min·I 35
8
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
9
Turn left onto I 35 Business
1.2 mi·1 min·4th Avenue South
10
Turn right onto I 35 Business
0.7 mi·1 min·South 8th Street
11
Turn left onto US 18
5.1 mi·7 min·US 18
12
Turn left onto CR S14
0.2 mi·24 sec·North Main Street
13
Arrive at destination
South Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15 — 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|Larch Street
Turn left onto Larch Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|1st Street South
At end of road, turn right onto 1st Street South
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|Ash Street East
Turn left onto Ash Street East
Navigation decision point
4
1.9 mi into trip|~4m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
5
15 mi into trip|~19m 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
$3.32 one way
$6.65 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg8 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$3.67
$7.34
premium
$4.72
$4.18
$8.36
diesel
$4.80
$4.25
$8.50
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging
· 0 stops
· 63% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
6.8
0
$2.36
$1.08
Efficient EV
5.6
0
$1.97
$0.90
EV Truck/SUV
9
0
$3.15
$1.44
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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 6, 2026
Origin
Thornton, IA
Late night
in Thornton on Tuesday
Local time
5:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Sunny
SSE 5 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 6 at 10:01AM CDT until July 7 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 6 at 9:40AM CDT until July 12 at 12:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Destination
Ventura, IA
Late night
in Ventura on Tuesday
Local time
5:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Mostly Sunny
SSE 6 mph3% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 6 at 10:01AM CDT until July 7 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued July 6 at 9:40AM CDT until July 12 at 12:00AM 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
1 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
30m 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?
This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 81% of the route utilizing major roads like I 35 and US 18. You'll experience a consistent pace for much of the 30-minute journey. The longest continuous stretch without a significant change in road type is 12.7 miles on I 35. While it's a highway-centric experience, the transition to roads like 125th Street near your destination will offer a slight change of scenery. Expect a functional and direct driving experience for the majority of this trip.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.7 mi on I 35.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and US 18. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Larch 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 30m 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 (Larch Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (1st Street South): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (Ash Street East): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,263 ft1,175 ft
Total Climb
178 ft
Total Descent
103 ft
Highest Point
1,263 ft
~22.5 mi in
Elevation Range
88 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Thornton, IA and Ventura, IA, road signs point toward Cr B35: Clear Lake and Mason City.
The longest stretch is about 12.7 miles on I 35. 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: near the start (Larch Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (1st Street South): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (Ash Street East): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ventura, IA before heading back.
