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Trip from Waterloo, IA to Clarksville, IA

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

42m

Distance

33 mi

53 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Fair

3 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Download GPX
city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States

Waterloo, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Clarksville, IA, IA

Clarksville, IA

Quang Nguyen Vinh

Trip Overview

Waterloo, IA to Clarksville, IA is 33 miles and takes about 42 minutes via Avenue of the Saints, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Iowa, making it an easy hop. You'll find the drive offers a mixed experience, balancing highway speeds with potentially more local road conditions. Given its brevity, it's ideal for a spontaneous excursion or a segment of a larger Iowa road trip. Plan for a straightforward journey with minimal travel time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Avenue of the Saints 15 mi 17m
US 218 7 mi 9m
State Highway 3 3.4 mi 4m
210th Street 2.3 mi 3m
230th Street 1.8 mi 2m
State Highway 188 1.8 mi 2m
South Main Street 1 mi 1m
Washington Street 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Avenue of the Saints — 15 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Clarksville, IA.

1

Start on West 4th Street

76 ft · 6 sec · West 4th Street
2

Turn right onto Washington Street

0.4 mi · 44 sec · Washington Street
3

Continue on US 218

6.3 mi · 7 min · US 218
4

Take the exit onto US 218

0.2 mi · 31 sec · US 218
5

Keep slight right at fork onto US 218

0.5 mi · 58 sec · US 218
Toward US 218 North, IA 27 North: Waverly
6

Merge onto US 218; IA 27

15 mi · 17 min · Avenue of the Saints
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 55 sec
8

Turn left onto IA 3

1.8 mi · 2 min · 230th Street
9

Continue on IA 3

3.4 mi · 4 min · State Highway 3
10

Continue on IA 3

2.3 mi · 3 min · 210th Street
11

Turn right onto IA 188

1.8 mi · 2 min · State Highway 188
12

Continue on IA 188

1.0 mi · 1 min · South Main Street
13

Turn right onto East Superior Street

37 ft · 0 sec · East Superior Street
14

Arrive at destination

East Superior Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 33 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Washington Street

Turn right onto Washington Street

Navigation decision point

6
6.9 mi into trip | ~9m in | US 218

Keep slight right at fork onto US 218 toward US 218 North, IA 27 North: Waverly

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 218 North, IA 27 North: Waverly
4
22.7 mi into trip | ~28m in | IA 3 / 230th Street

Turn left onto IA 3 / 230th Street

Navigation decision point

4
30.2 mi into trip | ~38m in | IA 188 / State Highway 188

Turn right onto IA 188 / State Highway 188

Navigation decision point

4
33 mi into trip | ~42m in | East Superior Street

Turn right onto East Superior Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.16 one way

$10.32 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.66 $11.33
premium $4.89 $6.35 $12.70
diesel $5.61 $7.29 $14.57

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.9 0 $3.47 $1.58
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.89 $1.32
EV Truck/SUV 13.2 0 $4.62 $2.11

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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 Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Waterloo, IA

Late night in Waterloo on Tuesday

Local time

4:03 AM

CDT

Current temp

30°F

Widespread Frost

ESE 3 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:15AM CDT until April 20 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 9:02PM CDT until April 20 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA

Destination

Clarksville, IA

Late night in Clarksville on Tuesday

Local time

4:03 AM

CDT

Current temp

41°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

11 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

42m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route presents a mixed drive, with 37% of the journey on highways. You'll experience some stretches on the Avenue of the Saints, including a continuous segment of 15 miles, which likely offers a more open-road feel. The rest of the drive will involve navigating US 218 and State Highway 3, suggesting a blend of faster sections and potentially more varied, perhaps slower, local road conditions. Expect the road to transition between these types of driving environments as you make your way from Waterloo to Clarksville.

37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15 mi on Avenue of the Saints.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Washington Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 33 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.9 miles (US 218): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.7 miles (IA 3 / 230th Street): Navigation decision point.

About the Cities

Starting in Waterloo, IA

Full guide →

Waterloo is a city of 68,000 people (2020) in of Black Hawk County in Northeast Iowa. It adjoins the city of Cedar Falls. It is home to an important John Deere tractor factory, which offers tours.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 33 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (37%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 15 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 6.9 miles (US 218): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.7 miles (IA 3 / 230th Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Clarksville, 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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