Waterloo, IA to Onawa, IA is 217.5 miles and takes about 4h 29m via Avenue of the Saints, with a fuel budget near $38 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest and entirely within Iowa, making it a straightforward drive. It primarily uses surface roads, offering a chance to see more of the local landscape. With only one recommended stop and a relatively short duration, this route is well-suited for a single-day trip.
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
108.8 miles from Waterloo, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 8m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Avenue of the Saints
155.2 mi
2h 59m
State Highway 175
34.6 mi
48m
Eagle Avenue
10.1 mi
13m
160th Street
6.4 mi
7m
West 4th Street
2.4 mi
4m
1st Street
2.1 mi
3m
United States Highway 20
1.9 mi
2m
Highway 20
1.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 155.2 mi, about 2h 59m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Onawa, 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
155 mi·2 hr 59 min·Avenue of the Saints
9
Continue on US 20
6.4 mi·7 min·160th Street
10
Continue on US 20
1.9 mi·2 min·United States Highway 20
11
Continue on US 20
1.3 mi·1 min·Highway 20
12
Turn left onto L67
10 mi·13 min·Eagle Avenue
13
At end of road, turn right onto IA 175
1.1 mi·1 min·State Highway 175
14
Continue on IA 175
0.9 mi·2 min·1st Street
15
Continue on IA 175
14 mi·20 min·State Highway 175
16
At end of road, turn left onto IA 141; IA 175
0.5 mi·1 min·North 4th Street
17
Turn right onto Heisler Street
414 ft·18 sec·Heisler Street
18
Continue on North Front Street
426 ft·18 sec·North Front Street
19
Continue on IA 175
8.2 mi·11 min·State Highway 175
20
Continue on IA 175
1.1 mi·1 min·1st Street
21
Continue on IA 175
4.2 mi·5 min·State Highway 175
22
Continue on IA 175
6.8 mi·9 min·State Highway 175
23
Continue on IA 175
1.0 mi·2 min·Iowa Avenue
24
Turn left onto 10th Street
29 ft·1 sec·10th Street
25
Arrive at destination
10th Street
Trip Plan
Given this is a single-day drive, you have flexibility with your departure time. Leaving Waterloo in the morning should get you to Onawa with plenty of daylight to spare. The route is about 4.5 hours of driving time, so factor in a brief stop to break up the 155.2-mile stretch on the Avenue of the Saints. Keep an eye on your fuel; while the estimated cost is $38, it's always wise to top off before heading out, especially since the majority of the drive is on surface roads where services might be more spread out.
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 108.8 miles from Waterloo, IA, or about 2h 8m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 155.2 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 48 miles or 58m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 108.8 miles or 2h 8m 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 31m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Onawa, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Waterloo, 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 Waterloo, IA
This is one driving day of about 217.5 miles and 4h 29m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 miles from Waterloo, 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 Avenue of the Saints for about 155.2 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 195.6 — 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
195.6 mi into trip|~3h 56m in|IA 141; IA 175 / North 4th Street
At end of road, turn left onto IA 141; IA 175 / North 4th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.12 one way
$64.24 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg76 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$35.46
$70.92
premium
$4.72
$40.38
$80.77
diesel
$4.80
$41.07
$82.14
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 76.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
65.3
0
$22.84
$10.44
Efficient EV
54.4
0
$19.03
$8.70
EV Truck/SUV
87
1
$30.45
$13.92
Gas CO2
76 kg
EV CO2
25 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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Waterloo, IA
Late night
in Waterloo on Sunday
Local time
5:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Sunny
N 9 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 3:26PM CDT until July 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:22PM CDT until July 20 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Destination
Onawa, IA
Late night
in Onawa on Sunday
Local time
5:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
95°F
Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms
NNE 7 mph22% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 3:26PM CDT until July 18 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 1:22PM CDT until July 20 at 10:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
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
7 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
4h 29m 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 route is mostly surface roads, with just 17% on highways. You'll experience 155.2 miles on the Avenue of the Saints before transitioning to other roads. Expect a good amount of rural cruising as you navigate through Iowa. The longest stretch without a significant change in road type is substantial, so plan accordingly.
Only 17% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 155.2 mi on Avenue of the Saints.
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 Washington 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 29m 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 (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.
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.
Top landmarks
•Henry Weis House — house in Waterloo, Iowa, United States
•Rensselaer Russell House — house in Waterloo, Iowa, United States
•Waterloo Public Library-East Side Branch — historic Carnegie library in Iowa
The longest stretch is about 155.2 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 9 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 (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.
Possible but tiring. At 4.5 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.0 hours — manageable with a long break at Onawa, IA, but most travelers stay overnight.
