Origin
Belle Plaine, IA
Afternoon in Belle Plaine on Friday
Local time
2:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Belle Plaine, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
41.7 mi
67 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Belle Plaine, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Belle Plaine, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 41.7 miles and takes about 55m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 73rd Street, IA 100, 15th Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.1 miles on 73rd Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.52 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 41.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 55m drive with frequent turns across 41.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
73rd Street is the longest continuous segment at about 23.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 29.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 41.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 29.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 38.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 39.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
29.6 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward IA 100 East: Cedar Rapids, Marion
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IA 100 East: Cedar Rapids, Marion
5
38.8 mi into trip
|
~49m in
Take the exit toward I-380, IA 27: Iowa City, Waterloo
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-380, IA 27: Iowa City, Waterloo
7
39.1 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I-380 south, IA 27 south: Iowa City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-380 south, IA 27 south: Iowa City
7
39.2 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I-380 south, IA 27 south: Iowa City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-380 south, IA 27 south: Iowa City
5
40.2 mi into trip
|
~52m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Belle Plaine, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA, road signs point toward Marion and Waterloo.
Marion
29.6 mi in
|
~38m
Waterloo
38.8 mi in
|
~49m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 73rd Street | 23.1 mi | 26m |
| IA 100 | 8.3 mi | 9m |
| 15th Avenue | 4.5 mi | 7m |
| 13th Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| 32nd Street Northeast | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Avenue of the Saints | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 77th Street Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Tiperary Drive Northeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
73rd Street
— 23.1 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Belle Plaine, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA.
1
Start on IA 21
45 ft
·
2 sec
·
7th Avenue
2
Turn right onto 13th Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
13th Street
3
Continue on 77th Street Drive
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
77th Street Drive
4
Turn left onto 15th Avenue
4.5 mi
·
7 min
·
15th Avenue
5
Turn right onto US 30
23 mi
·
26 min
·
73rd Street
6
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Toward IA 100 East: Cedar Rapids, Marion
7
Continue on IA 100
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
IA 100
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I-380, IA 27: Iowa City, Waterloo
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward I-380 south, IA 27 south: Iowa City
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I-380 south, IA 27 south: Iowa City
11
Merge onto I 380; IA 27
0.5 mi
·
38 sec
·
Avenue of the Saints
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
13
Keep slight left at fork
121 ft
·
4 sec
14
Turn left onto 32nd Street Northeast
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
32nd Street Northeast
15
Turn right onto Crystal Drive Northeast
184 ft
·
10 sec
·
Crystal Drive Northeast
16
Continue on Crystal Drive Northeast
177 ft
·
7 sec
·
Crystal Drive Northeast
17
Continue on Tiperary Drive Northeast
428 ft
·
18 sec
·
Tiperary Drive Northeast
18
Arrive at destination
Tiperary Drive Northeast
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 20.8 mi from Belle Plaine, IA · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 41.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.8 miles from Belle Plaine, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Cedar Rapids, IA
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Cedar Rapids, IA if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.52 one way
$13.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.16 | $14.32 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.02 | $16.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.21 | $18.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.38 | $2.00 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.84 | $2.67 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Cedar Rapids, IA
Afternoon in Cedar Rapids on Friday
Local time
2:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Fairfax, IA
21 mi in
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
55m 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 Belle Plaine, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 41.7 miles and takes about 55m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 73rd Street, IA 100, 15th Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.8 miles from Belle Plaine, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.52 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 short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 41.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
The main spots that need attention: at 29.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 38.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 39.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Belle Plaine, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA, road signs point toward Marion and Waterloo.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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