Origin
Waterloo, IA
Evening in Waterloo on Wednesday
Local time
8:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterloo, IA to Tama, IA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 7m
Distance
45.2 mi
73 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
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 4m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterloo, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Tama, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Waterloo, IA to Tama, IA covers 45.2 miles and takes about 1h 7m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on J Avenue, North Main Street, Sergeant Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.8 miles on J Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.01 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| J Avenue | 11.8 mi | 17m |
| North Main Street | 7.6 mi | 11m |
| Sergeant Road | 6.5 mi | 9m |
| South Hudson Road | 6.4 mi | 8m |
| County Road D65 | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Q Avenue | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| West 4th Street | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| North County Road | 1.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
J Avenue
— 11.8 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Tama, 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
6.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Sergeant Road
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on US 63
6.4 mi
·
8 min
·
South Hudson Road
8
Continue on US 63
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Q Avenue
9
Continue on US 63
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
County Road D65
10
Continue on US 63
7.6 mi
·
11 min
·
North Main Street
11
Turn left onto US 63
12 mi
·
17 min
·
J Avenue
12
Continue on US 63
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
North County Road
13
Continue on US 63
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
Harding Street
14
Turn left onto US 63
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
West 13th Street
15
Turn right onto US 63
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
State Street
16
Arrive at destination
US 63
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 22.6 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 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 44.7 — 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.
4
30.6 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
US 63 / J Avenue
Turn left onto US 63 / J Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
44.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
|
US 63 / West 13th Street
Turn left onto US 63 / West 13th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.01 one way
$14.02 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $7.68 | $15.37 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.77 | $17.54 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $9.96 | $19.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.75 | $2.17 |
| Efficient EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.96 | $1.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.1 | 0 | $6.33 | $2.89 |
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
Tama, IA
Evening in Tama on Wednesday
Local time
8:27 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°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
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
1h 7m 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?
45.2 mi in 1h 7m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.8 mi on J Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Washington Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Waterloo, IA to Tama, IA is easy. At 1h 7m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,018 ft
840 ft
Total Climb
293 ft
Total Descent
307 ft
Highest Point
1,018 ft
~35.5 mi in
Elevation Range
177 ft
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.
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
Arriving in Tama, IA
Full guide →Top landmarks
- • Lincoln Highway Bridge — bridge in Tama, Iowa, United States
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 1h 7m. Total distance: 45.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 7m 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 11.8 miles on J Avenue. 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 Tama, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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