Trip from Albia, IA to Council Bluffs, IA

Drive Time

3h 10m

Distance

192.6 mi

310 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$29

one way

EV Charging

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 35 min

4 AM

2h 59m ★

6 AM

3h 11m

8 AM

3h 34m

10 AM

3h 19m

12 PM

3h 17m

3 PM

3h 20m

5 PM

3h 33m

8 PM

3h 4m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Albia, IA

Muhammed Fatih Beki

Council Bluffs, IA

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Albia, IA to Council Bluffs, IA covers 192.6 miles and takes about 3h 10m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on South 2nd Street, Benton Avenue East, North Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $29.25 one way before food or hotel costs.

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

96.3 miles from Albia, IA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 35m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 3h 10m drive with frequent turns across 192.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.

There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

South 2nd Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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.

Route Complexity 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

The drive from Albia, IA to Council Bluffs, IA is easy. At 3h 10m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Albia, IA to Council Bluffs, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
South 2nd Street	Unavailable	Refreshing
Benton Avenue East	Unavailable	Refreshing
North Main Street	Unavailable	Refreshing
Highway 5	Unavailable	Refreshing
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway	Unavailable	Refreshing
I-35 north	Unavailable	Refreshing
I 80 west	Unavailable	Refreshing
John MacVicar Freeway	Unavailable	Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: South 2nd Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Albia, IA and Council Bluffs, IA.

Start on the route

33 ft · 4 sec · the route

Turn right onto South 2nd Street

171 ft · 13 sec · South 2nd Street

Turn left onto Benton Avenue East

358 ft · 9 sec · Benton Avenue East

Turn right onto North Main Street

0.3 mi · 30 sec · North Main Street

Keep slight left

25 mi · 37 min

Take the ramp left

11 mi · 12 min

Turn right

0.1 mi · 7 sec

Continue on State Highway 5

19 mi · 22 min · State Highway 5

Merge slight left onto Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway

12 mi · 14 min · Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway

Keep slight left to continue on I-35 north: Minneapolis

0.9 mi · 1 min · I-35 north: Minneapolis

Merge slight left

4.3 mi · 5 min

Take the exit slight right toward I 80 west: Council Bluffs

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 80 west: Council Bluffs

Merge slight left onto John MacVicar Freeway

0.5 mi · 40 sec · John MacVicar Freeway

Merge slight right

95 mi · 1 hr 41 min

Keep slight left to continue on I 80 West: Council Bluffs, Omaha Nebraska

19 mi · 20 min · I 80 West: Council Bluffs, Omaha Nebraska

Take the exit slight right toward US 6: Council Bluffs, Oakland

0.3 mi · 31 sec · US 6: Council Bluffs, Oakland

Turn straight onto East Kanesville Boulevard

2.8 mi · 4 min · East Kanesville Boulevard

Continue on East Broadway

0.1 mi · 21 sec · East Broadway

Continue on East Kanesville Boulevard

0.9 mi · 2 min · East Kanesville Boulevard

Continue on West Broadway

0.4 mi · 51 sec · West Broadway

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 96.3 miles from Albia, IA, or about 1h 35m into the drive.

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 80 miles or 1h 19m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 96.3 miles or 1h 35m 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 36m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Council Bluffs, IA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Albia, 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 Albia, IA

This is one driving day of about 192.6 miles and 3h 10m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Albia, 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.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 96.3 mi from Albia, IA · 1h 35m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Waukee, IA

96 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

West Des Moines, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Waukee, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 96.3 miles from Albia, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Council Bluffs, IA

The final approach into Council Bluffs, IA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Council Bluffs, IA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$29.25 one way

$58.51 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 67 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.25	$32.25	$64.50
premium	$4.80	$36.36	$72.72
diesel	$5.64	$42.79	$85.58

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$29

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$54–$79

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 67.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $20 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	57.8	$20.22	$9.24
Efficient EV	48.2	$16.85	$7.70
EV Truck/SUV	77	$26.96	$12.33

Gas CO2

67 kg

EV CO2

23 kg (66% 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 data refreshed 2 days ago

Origin

Albia, IA

Afternoon in Albia on Sunday

Local time

3:27 PM

CDT

Current temp

76°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Council Bluffs, IA

Afternoon in Council Bluffs on Sunday

Local time

3:27 PM

CDT

Current temp

55°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

21 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

3h 10m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Albia, IA to Council Bluffs, IA covers 192.6 miles and takes about 3h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are South 2nd Street, Benton Avenue East, North Main Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 96.3 miles from Albia, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $29.25 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

The drive from Albia, IA to Council Bluffs, IA is easy. At 3h 10m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Albia, IA to Council Bluffs, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Albia, IA to Council Bluffs, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.