Origin
Waterloo, IA
Late night in Waterloo on Sunday
Local time
12:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterloo, IA to Ackley, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
44.8 mi
72 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterloo, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Ackley, IA
Tara Winstead
Trip Overview
This short, 44.8-mile drive from Waterloo, IA to Ackley, IA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking about an hour to complete. The route sticks to local roads, primarily utilizing Washington Street, West 5th Street, and West 4th Street, with no highway driving. With a projected fuel cost of around $7, this is an economical option for local travel within the Midwest region. The drive's character suggests a more involved, turn-heavy experience rather than a straightforward cruise. Given its brevity, you won't need an overnight stay, offering flexibility in your timing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue of the Saints | 32.9 mi | 37m |
| County Highway S56 | 5.9 mi | 10m |
| West 4th Street | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Sergeant Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Butler Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Ridgeway Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Park Avenue | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West 5th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 32.9 mi, about 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Ackley, IA.
1
Start on West 4th Street
76 ft
·
6 sec
·
West 4th Street
2
Turn right onto Washington Street
384 ft
·
10 sec
·
Washington Street
3
Turn right onto West 5th Street
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
West 5th Street
4
Continue on West 4th Street
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
West 4th Street
5
Turn slight right onto West Ridgeway Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ridgeway Avenue
6
Turn left onto US 63
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Sergeant Road
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto US 20; IA 27
33 mi
·
37 min
·
Avenue of the Saints
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward CR S56: Ackley, Eldora
10
Turn right onto County Highway S56
5.9 mi
·
10 min
·
County Highway S56
11
Continue on Butler Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Butler Street
12
Turn left onto Park Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue
13
Turn slight right onto Main Street
115 ft
·
5 sec
·
Main Street
14
Arrive at destination
Main Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.4 miles from Waterloo, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 37.3 — 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
|
Washington Street
Turn right onto Washington Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West 5th Street
Turn right onto West 5th Street
Navigation decision point
4
3.3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
US 63 / Sergeant Road
Turn left onto US 63 / Sergeant Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
4.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
37.3 mi into trip
|
~46m in
Take the exit toward CR S56: Ackley, Eldora
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward CR S56: Ackley, Eldora
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.00 one way
$14.01 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.69 | $15.38 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.62 | $17.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.89 | $19.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.70 | $2.15 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.92 | $1.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.27 | $2.87 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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.
Destination
Ackley, IA
Late night in Ackley on Sunday
Local time
12:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Hudson, IA
22 mi in
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
1h on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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, as indicated by the 0% highway share. The journey primarily consists of navigating through local streets, which means you'll be making frequent turns and adjustments. There isn't a "longest stretch" of uninterrupted driving mentioned, suggesting a continuous series of intersections and road changes. This type of driving requires your full attention as you transition between different city streets, rather than settling into a long, straight highway pace.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 32.9 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 early in the drive near Washington Street.
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 1h drive. You will face about 8 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 (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (US 63 / Sergeant Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Waterloo, IA and Ackley, IA, road signs point toward Cr S56: Ackley and Eldora.
Cr S56: Ackley
37.3 mi in
|
~46m
Eldora
37.3 mi in
|
~46m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 44.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 32.9 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (West 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (US 63 / Sergeant Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ackley, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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