Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
30.8 mi
50 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Saint Marys, IA
Vladimir Srajber
Hartford, IA
Kelly
West Saint Marys to Hartford is 30.8 miles and takes about 46 minutes via State Highway 28 and IA 5, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Iowa, moving through the Midwest region. Expect a mix of highway cruising and surface road driving for this quick connection. It's a straightforward drive, ideal for a quick hop between locations when you're in the area.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Highway 28 | 7.8 mi | 11m |
| IA 5 | 7.6 mi | 9m |
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 4.6 mi | 5m |
| County Road R45 | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| County Road G14 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| North Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| County Road R63 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Sunset Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between West Saint Marys, IA and Hartford, IA.
Start on Iowa Street
Turn left onto CR R45
Continue on CR R45
Turn left onto IA 92
Turn right onto IA 28
Continue on IA 28
Turn right onto CR G14
Continue on County Road G14
At end of road, turn left onto CR R63
Continue on CR R63
Take the ramp
Merge onto IA 5
Take the exit onto IA 5
Turn right onto CR G24
Turn right onto West Elm Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 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.
A short stop after about 30.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 15.4 miles from West Saint Marys, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 30.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto CR R45 / School Street
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto IA 28 / State Highway 28
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn left onto CR R63 / County Road R63
Navigation decision point
Take the exit onto IA 5 toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Turn right onto CR G24 / North Vine Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$5.12 one way
$10.24 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $5.58 | $11.16 |
| premium | $5.18 | $6.28 | $12.57 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $6.49 | $12.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.31 | $1.97 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in West Saint Marys on Wednesday
Local time
4:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Afternoon in Hartford on Wednesday
Local time
4:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
43°F
Partly Cloudy
88°F
Spring Hill, IA
15 mi in
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
You'll spend about 52% of this 30.8-mile drive on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch on a highway is 7.8 miles on State Highway 28. After that, you'll transition to surface roads for the remainder of your trip. Be prepared for a mix of driving conditions as you move from higher-speed highway sections to potentially slower surface roads.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near CR R45 / School Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 46m 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: at 0.4 miles (CR R45 / School Street): Navigation decision point; at 5 miles (IA 28 / State Highway 28): Navigation decision point; at 16 miles (CR R63 / County Road R63): Navigation decision point.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
362 ft
Total Descent
511 ft
Highest Point
1,036 ft
Elevation Range
230 ft
Hartford is the capital of the state of Connecticut in the United States of America. It is home to the country's oldest public art museum (Wadsworth Atheneum), and the Mark Twain House, in which the author wrote his most famous works and raised his family. Mark Twain wrote in 1868, "Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see this is the chief."
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 30.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Straightforward navigation.
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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