Origin
West Branch, IA
Morning in West Branch on Sunday
Local time
7:04 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Branch, IA to Iowa City, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
11.5 mi
18 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
7 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Branch, IA
Tom Fisk
Iowa City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting West Branch to Iowa City is a straightforward 11.5-mile journey that typically takes about 16 minutes to complete. Because this trip is so brief, you can easily manage it as a quick day outing without needing an overnight stay. You will navigate via Parkside Drive, IA 1, and North Dodge Street, keeping your fuel costs to a modest $2. While both towns are situated within the Midwest, this transition moves you from a smaller community into the more urban center of Iowa City. It is a highly practical route if you are looking to get between these two points efficiently and without complex planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 80 | 7.7 mi | 8m |
| North Dodge Street | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| North Gilbert Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Parkside Drive | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Church Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Gilbert Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 7.7 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Branch, IA and Iowa City, IA.
1
Start on Main Street
298 ft
·
7 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn right onto CR X30
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
Parkside Drive
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
4
Merge onto I 80
7.7 mi
·
8 min
·
I 80
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward IA 1: Mount Vernon
6
Turn left onto IA 1
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
North Dodge Street
Use the straight lane.
7
Turn right onto Church Street
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Church Street
8
Turn left onto North Gilbert Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Gilbert Street
9
Arrive at destination
South Gilbert Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 11 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR X30 / Parkside Drive
Turn right onto CR X30 / Parkside Drive
Navigation decision point
4
8.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward IA 1: Mount Vernon
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward IA 1: Mount Vernon
4
8.7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
IA 1 / North Dodge Street
Turn left onto IA 1 / North Dodge Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
10.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Church Street
Turn right onto Church Street
Navigation decision point
4
11 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
North Gilbert Street
Turn left onto North Gilbert Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.80 one way
$3.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.97 | $3.95 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.21 | $4.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.54 | $5.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.21 | $0.55 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.61 | $0.74 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Iowa City, IA
Morning in Iowa City on Sunday
Local time
7:04 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°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
17m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate haul, as this route features zero highway miles. You will navigate a series of local transitions that keep you engaged behind the wheel. The longest stretch of your journey occurs on Parkside Drive, though it offers no significant uninterrupted highway segments. Because the entire 11.5-mile path is composed of local roads, you should prepare for a more tactile driving experience where constant adjustments are required. This is a purely local transit that avoids the monotony of long-distance highway travel.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.7 mi on I 80.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and North Dodge Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CR X30 / Parkside Drive.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (CR X30 / Parkside Drive): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 8.7 miles (IA 1 / North Dodge Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 11.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.7 miles on I 80. 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: at 0.1 miles (CR X30 / Parkside Drive): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 8.7 miles (IA 1 / North Dodge Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Iowa City, 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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