Origin
Cedar Falls, IA
Late night in Cedar Falls on Friday
Local time
2:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cedar Falls, IA to Independence, IA
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
43m
Distance
35.2 mi
57 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cedar Falls, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Independence, IA
Roger Ce
Trip Overview
The drive from Cedar Falls, IA to Independence, IA covers 35.2 miles and takes about 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 20, IA 27, Avenue of the Saints for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15.6 miles on US 20. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.50 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 35.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 43m highway drive covering 35.2 miles, with most of the trip on US 20 and IA 27. The longest continuous stretch is about 15.6 miles on US 20.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 20 is the longest continuous segment at about 15.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 20 and IA 27. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Main Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 35.2 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Main Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.4 miles (East 18th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Main Street
Enter roundabout onto Main Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East 18th Street
At end of road, turn straight onto East 18th Street
Navigation decision point
8
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward IA 27 south, IA 58 south
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward IA 27 south, IA 58 south
5
4.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
IA 27
Turn left onto IA 27 toward US 20 East, IA 27 South: Dubuque, Cedar Rapids
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 20 East, IA 27 South: Dubuque, Cedar...
5
35.2 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
5th Avenue Southeast
Turn right onto 5th Avenue Southeast
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Cedar Falls, IA to Independence, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Cedar Rapids along the way.
Cedar Rapids
4.9 mi in
|
~7m
|
via IA 27
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 20 | 15.6 mi | 17m |
| IA 27 | 12.8 mi | 15m |
| Avenue of the Saints | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| 3rd Avenue Southeast | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East 18th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 1st Street East | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Jamestown Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 20
— 15.6 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cedar Falls, IA and Independence, IA.
1
Start on Main Street
52 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
2
Continue on Main Street
61 ft
·
1 sec
·
Main Street
3
Enter roundabout onto Main Street
104 ft
·
2 sec
·
Main Street
4
Continue on Main Street
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
Main Street
5
Turn left onto West 18th Street
40 ft
·
3 sec
·
West 18th Street
6
At end of road, turn straight onto East 18th Street
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
East 18th Street
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward IA 27 south, IA 58 south
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto IA 27; IA 58
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Avenue of the Saints
9
Turn left onto IA 27
13 mi
·
15 min
·
IA 27
Toward US 20 East, IA 27 South: Dubuque, Cedar Rapids
10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 20
16 mi
·
17 min
·
US 20
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
12
Turn left onto IA 150
324 ft
·
8 sec
·
Jamestown Avenue
13
Continue on IA 150
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
3rd Avenue Southeast
14
Turn right onto IA 150; CR D22
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
1st Street East
15
Turn right onto 5th Avenue Southeast
42 ft
·
1 sec
·
5th Avenue Southeast
16
Arrive at destination
5th Avenue Southeast
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.50 one way
$11.01 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.04 | $12.08 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.77 | $13.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.77 | $15.54 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.3 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 | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
| Efficient EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.08 | $1.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.93 | $2.25 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Independence, IA
Late night in Independence on Friday
Local time
2:12 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°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
20 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
43m 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 Cedar Falls, IA to Independence, IA covers 35.2 miles and takes about 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 20, IA 27, Avenue of the Saints. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.6 miles from Cedar Falls, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.50 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 35.2 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Main Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.4 miles (East 18th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Cedar Falls, IA to Independence, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Cedar Rapids along the way.
Data sources
The figures on this page are computed from open government and mapping datasets, not crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Full methodology, refresh cadence, and limitations are documented on the methodology page.
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