Origin
Buffalo, IA
Late night in Buffalo on Friday
Local time
5:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buffalo, 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
1h 26m
Distance
88 mi
142 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$14
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 20m
★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 40m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 30m
3 PM
1h 32m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buffalo, IA
Duc Nguyen
Trip Overview
The drive from Buffalo, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 88 miles and takes about 1h 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Jefferson Street, West Front Street, Rockingham Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.76 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 88 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 26m drive with frequent turns across 88 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.
Jefferson 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.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Buffalo, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA is easy. At 1h 26m 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 Buffalo, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Street | — | — |
| West Front Street | — | — |
| Rockingham Road | — | — |
| I 380 | — | — |
| Avenue of the Saints | — | — |
| Glass Road | — | — |
| 29th Street Northeast | — | — |
| Oakland Road Northeast | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Jefferson Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA.
1
Start on 2nd Street
36 ft
·
6 sec
·
2nd Street
2
Turn right onto Jefferson Street
374 ft
·
16 sec
·
Jefferson Street
3
Turn left onto West Front Street
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
West Front Street
4
Continue on Rockingham Road
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Rockingham Road
5
Take the ramp slight left
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
6
Merge slight left
58 mi
·
1 hr 4 min
7
Take the exit slight right toward I 380, US 218, IA 27
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
I 380, US 218, IA 27
8
Keep slight right to continue on I 380, US 218 North, IA 27 North: Cedar Rapids, Waterloo
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
I 380, US 218 North, IA 27 North: Cedar Rapids, Waterloo
9
Merge slight left onto Avenue of the Saints
22 mi
·
24 min
·
Avenue of the Saints
10
Take the exit slight right toward Glass Road, 32nd Street, Coldstream, 29th Street
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Glass Road, 32nd Street, Coldstream, 29th Street
11
Keep slight right
318 ft
·
9 sec
12
Turn straight onto 29th Street Northeast
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
29th Street Northeast
13
Turn left onto Oakland Road Northeast
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Oakland Road Northeast
14
Turn right onto 32nd Street Northeast
0.8 mi
·
1 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
·
8 sec
·
Crystal Drive Northeast
17
Continue on Tiperary Drive Northeast
427 ft
·
19 sec
·
Tiperary Drive Northeast
18
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 44 mi from Buffalo, IA · 43m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
44 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 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 44 miles from Buffalo, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Cedar Rapids, IA
The final approach into Cedar Rapids, IA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.76 one way
$27.52 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
31 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $15.11 | $30.21 |
| premium | $4.89 | $16.93 | $33.87 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $19.43 | $38.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 30.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 26.4 | 0 | $9.24 | $4.22 |
| Efficient EV | 22 | 0 | $7.70 | $3.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 35.2 | 0 | $12.32 | $5.63 |
Gas CO2
31 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (68% 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
Late night in Cedar Rapids on Friday
Local time
5:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°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
3 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
1h 26m 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 Buffalo, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 88 miles and takes about 1h 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Jefferson Street, West Front Street, Rockingham Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 44 miles from Buffalo, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.76 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.
The drive from Buffalo, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA is easy. At 1h 26m 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 Buffalo, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Buffalo, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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