Origin
Waterloo, IA
Late night in Waterloo on Tuesday
Local time
5:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterloo, IA to Perry, IA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 47m
Distance
136.3 mi
219 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$21
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 37m
★
6 AM
2h 48m
8 AM
3h 9m
10 AM
2h 55m
12 PM
2h 53m
3 PM
2h 56m
5 PM
3h 8m
8 PM
2h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterloo, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Perry, IA
Ron Lach
Trip Overview
Waterloo to Perry is 136.3 miles and takes about 2h 47m via Avenue of the Saints and I 35, with a fuel budget near $21 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Iowa, traversing familiar Midwest landscapes. With a relatively short driving time and a reasonable fuel cost, it's a straightforward connection between two points. The route offers a mix of travel types, suitable for a quick day trip or as a segment of a larger Midwest adventure.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
68.2 miles from Waterloo, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 22m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue of the Saints | 61.4 mi | 1h 10m |
| I 35 | 39.4 mi | 42m |
| Northwest Granger Drive | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| 330th Street | 5.6 mi | 8m |
| 334th Road | 5 mi | 7m |
| State Highway 210 | 4.4 mi | 6m |
| George P. Soumas Memorial Highway | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| West 4th Street | 2.4 mi | 4m |
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 61.4 mi, about 1h 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Perry, 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
61 mi
·
1 hr 10 min
·
Avenue of the Saints
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 35
39 mi
·
42 min
·
I 35
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward IA 210: Huxley, Maxwell
12
Turn right onto IA 210
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
State Highway 210
13
Continue on IA 210
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
330th Street
14
Continue on IA 210
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
East 6th Avenue
15
Continue on IA 210
4.8 mi
·
7 min
·
330th Street
16
Continue on IA 210
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
East North Street
17
Turn left onto IA 17; IA 210
397 ft
·
13 sec
·
North Kennedy Avenue
18
Turn right onto IA 210
0.5 mi
·
47 sec
·
East 1st Street
19
Continue on IA 210
415 ft
·
12 sec
·
East 1st Street
20
Turn left onto IA 210
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
West North Street
21
Continue on IA 210
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
334th Road
22
At end of road, turn left onto IA 210
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
North Main Street
23
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward IA 141 west: Perry
24
Merge onto IA 141
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Northwest Granger Drive
25
Continue on IA 141
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Northwest Granger Drive
26
Continue on IA 141
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
George P. Soumas Memorial Highway
27
Turn right onto IA 144
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
1st Avenue
28
Turn left onto Willis Avenue
202 ft
·
12 sec
·
Willis Avenue
29
Arrive at destination
Willis Avenue
Trip Plan
Consider departing Waterloo in the morning to take advantage of the full day. With a total driving time under 3 hours, you won't need many stops, but there is one designated stop point. The longest stretch on the Avenue of the Saints is over 60 miles, so plan your fuel and rest breaks accordingly before embarking on that segment. The $21 fuel budget is an estimate, so check current prices before you leave Waterloo. Since this is a single-day drive, you have flexibility with your departure time.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 68.2 miles from Waterloo, IA, or about 1h 22m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 61.4 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 30 miles or 37m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 68.2 miles or 1h 22m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 12m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Perry, 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 136.3 miles and 2h 47m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 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 61.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
68 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 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 68.2 miles from Waterloo, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Avenue of the Saints if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 61.4 miles.
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 165 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 119.1 — 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
|
Washington Street
Turn right onto Washington Street
Navigation decision point
6
4.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
65.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
Take the exit toward I 35 South: Des Moines
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 35 South: Des Moines
5
105.5 mi into trip
|
~2h 2m in
Take the exit toward IA 210: Huxley, Maxwell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IA 210: Huxley, Maxwell
5
119.1 mi into trip
|
~2h 23m in
|
IA 210 / West North Street
Turn left onto IA 210 / West North Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$21.31 one way
$42.62 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
48 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $23.40 | $46.79 |
| premium | $4.89 | $26.23 | $52.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $30.09 | $60.19 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 47.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 40.9 | 0 | $14.31 | $6.54 |
| Efficient EV | 34.1 | 0 | $11.93 | $5.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 54.5 | 0 | $19.08 | $8.72 |
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 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.
Destination
Perry, IA
Late night in Perry on Tuesday
Local time
5:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
2h 47m 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?
This drive features a 32% highway share, meaning you'll spend a good portion of your time on interstates. The longest stretch without a significant change in road type is 61.4 miles on the Avenue of the Saints. You'll transition from more rural surface roads to interstate cruising and back again. Expect to encounter a mix of urban merging near cities and more open rural travel.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 61.4 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 16 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 136.3 miles you will encounter 16 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 4.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 65.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
On the drive from Waterloo, IA to Perry, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Maxwell along the way.
Maxwell
105.5 mi in
|
~2h 2m
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 2h 47m. Total distance: 136.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 61.4 miles on Avenue of the Saints. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 4.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 65.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Perry, 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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