Origin
Badger, IA
Evening in Badger on Thursday
Local time
5:16 PM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Badger, IA to Tara, IA
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
29m
Distance
16 mi
26 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tara, IA
Vladimir Srajber
Trip Overview
The drive from Badger, IA to Tara, IA covers 16 miles and takes about 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 169, 120th Street, 190th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7 miles on US 169. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.50 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 16 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
The drive from Badger, IA to Tara, IA covers 16 miles and takes about 29m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 169 is the longest continuous segment at about 7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 early in the drive near 1st Street Southeast.
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 29m 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: near the start (1st Street Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (C56 / West Center Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.2 miles (US 169): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
1st Street Southeast
Turn right onto 1st Street Southeast
Navigation decision point
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
C56 / West Center Avenue
Turn left onto C56 / West Center Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
4.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 169
Turn left onto US 169
Navigation decision point
4
13.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Johnson Avenue
Turn left onto Johnson Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
14.4 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
200th Street
Turn right onto 200th Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 169 | 7 mi | 9m |
| 120th Street | 3.5 mi | 6m |
| 190th Street | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| 200th Street | 1.5 mi | 5m |
| Johnson Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Center Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| 1st Street Southeast | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Hayes Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 169
— 7 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Badger, IA and Tara, IA.
1
Start on this road
166 ft
·
14 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto 1st Street Southeast
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
1st Street Southeast
3
Turn left onto C56
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Center Avenue
4
Continue on CR C56
3.5 mi
·
6 min
·
120th Street
5
Turn left onto US 169
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
US 169
6
Turn right onto 190th Street
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
190th Street
7
Turn left onto Johnson Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Johnson Avenue
8
Turn right onto 200th Street
1.5 mi
·
5 min
·
200th Street
9
Continue on Hayes Avenue
368 ft
·
16 sec
·
Hayes Avenue
10
Arrive at destination
Hayes Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.50 one way
$5.00 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.75 | $5.49 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.08 | $6.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.53 | $7.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Tara, IA
Evening in Tara on Thursday
Local time
5:16 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°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
24 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
29m 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 Badger, IA to Tara, IA covers 16 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 169, 120th Street, 190th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8 miles from Badger, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.50 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 29m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (1st Street Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (C56 / West Center Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.2 miles (US 169): Navigation decision point.
The route from Badger, IA to Tara, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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