This 133.8-mile drive from Waterloo, IA to Urbandale, IA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 2 hours and 4 minutes to complete. You'll be navigating primarily through local streets, as this route has a 0% highway share, making it a more turn-heavy experience. With an estimated fuel cost of $20, this is an affordable excursion within the Midwest region. The profile suggests a local drive, so expect to be on roads that connect communities rather than high-speed thoroughfares. This makes it a straightforward and practical journey for anyone looking to travel between these two Iowa locations.
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
57.2 miles from Waterloo, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 17m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
IA 330
35.9 mi
42m
Avenue of the Saints
18.4 mi
21m
Sanford Avenue
15.9 mi
21m
US 65
10.6 mi
12m
240th Street
6.3 mi
9m
Marsh Avenue
5.9 mi
8m
N Avenue
4.5 mi
6m
160th Street
4.3 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
IA 330
— 35.9 mi, about 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Urbandale, 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
18 mi·21 min·Avenue of the Saints
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi·59 sec
Toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
10
Turn left onto IA 14
4.5 mi·6 min·N Avenue
11
Turn right onto 210th Street
1.0 mi·1 min·210th Street
12
Turn sharp left onto County Road T37
1.0 mi·1 min·County Road T37
13
Continue on M Avenue
1.5 mi·2 min·M Avenue
14
Turn right onto IA 14; IA 175
6.3 mi·9 min·240th Street
15
Turn left onto IA 14
16 mi·21 min·Sanford Avenue
16
Turn right onto IA 330
4.3 mi·5 min·160th Street
17
Keep slight left at fork onto IA 330
1.2 mi·1 min·North Main Street
18
Continue on IA 330
5.9 mi·8 min·Marsh Avenue
19
Turn right onto IA 330
36 mi·42 min·IA 330
20
Take the exit onto US 65
11 mi·12 min·US 65
Toward I 80 west, US 65 south: Des MoinesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Take the exit
0.4 mi·47 sec
Exit 131Toward IA 28 South: Merle Hay Road, Saylorville LakeUse the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Turn left onto IA 28
0.6 mi·1 min·Merle Hay Road
23
Turn right onto Meredith Drive
0.8 mi·1 min·Meredith Drive
24
Turn left onto 70th Street
1.2 mi·2 min·70th Street
25
Turn left onto Maryland Drive
13 ft·0 sec·Maryland Drive
26
Arrive at destination
Maryland Drive
Trip Plan
Given the short 2-hour duration and 133.8-mile distance, this trip offers considerable flexibility. You can easily depart Waterloo at your convenience, perhaps after a relaxed morning. With a $20 fuel cost, you won't need to worry about frequent refueling stops, but it's always wise to start with a full tank. Since there are no designated highway stretches or longest uninterrupted stretches mentioned, plan for a steady pace and be ready for the frequent turns characteristic of this local drive. Consider making a brief stop in a town along the way to stretch your legs, as the route is designed for continuous local road travel rather than long, open stretches.
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 57.2 miles from Waterloo, IA, or about 1h 17m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 35.9 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 25 miles or 32m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 57.2 miles or 1h 17m 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 2m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Urbandale, 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 114.3 miles and 2h 30m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 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 IA 330 for about 35.9 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 19
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 111.4 — 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.
5
22.8 mi into trip|~29m in
Take the exit toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
7
100.8 mi into trip|~2h 11m in|US 65
Take the exit onto US 65 toward I 80 west, US 65 south: Des Moines
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 80 west, US 65 south: Des Moines
8
111.4 mi into trip|~2h 24m in
Take the exit toward IA 28 South: Merle Hay Road, Saylorville Lake
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 131
Toward IA 28 South: Merle Hay Road, Saylorville...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.87 one way
$35.74 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg40 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$19.62
$39.24
premium
$4.89
$22.00
$43.99
diesel
$5.61
$25.24
$50.47
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 40 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
34.3
0
$12.00
$5.49
Efficient EV
28.6
0
$10.00
$4.57
EV Truck/SUV
45.7
0
$16.00
$7.32
Gas CO2
40 kg
EV CO2
13 kg (68% 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 18, 2026
Origin
Waterloo, IA
Night
in Waterloo on Saturday
Local time
11:17 PM
CDT
Current temp
33°F
Partly Cloudy
NW 17 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 18 at 2:33AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 17 at 10:38PM CDT until April 24 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Destination
Urbandale, IA
Night
in Urbandale on Saturday
Local time
11:17 PM
CDT
Current temp
52°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
19 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
2h 30m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive as you make your way from Waterloo to Urbandale. With no highway miles, this 133.8-mile journey will keep you engaged with frequent turns on roads like Washington Street, West 5th Street, and West 4th Street. The absence of long highway stretches means you'll be experiencing a more intimate connection with the landscape and communities along the way. This route profile indicates a drive where you'll be consistently navigating local infrastructure, rather than cruising on uninterrupted expressways. Expect the road to feel more like a series of connected town and city streets.
41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 35.9 mi on IA 330.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 19 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Washington Street.
Driving Effort6/10
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 114.3 miles you will encounter 19 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 22.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Urbandale, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Grundy Center along the way.
Grundy Center
22.8 mi in|~29m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 30m. Total distance: 114.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 35.9 miles on IA 330. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Urbandale, IA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 22.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Urbandale, IA before heading back.
