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Trip from Cedar Falls, IA to Anamosa, IA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 36m

Distance

77.4 mi

125 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 22 min
4 AM
1h 29m ★
6 AM
1h 37m
8 AM
1h 51m
10 AM
1h 42m
12 PM
1h 40m
3 PM
1h 42m
5 PM
1h 50m
8 PM
1h 32m

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

city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States

Cedar Falls, IA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Jones County, Iowa, United States

Anamosa, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Cedar Falls, IA to Anamosa, IA covers 77.4 miles and takes about 1h 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Avenue of the Saints, County Home Road, IA 27 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 40.2 miles on Avenue of the Saints. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.10 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.

Midpoint

38.7 miles from Cedar Falls, IA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 44m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 36m. Total distance: 77.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (17%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 36m drive with frequent turns across 77.4 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Avenue of the Saints is the longest continuous segment at about 40.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Main Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 36m drive. You will face about 15 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 (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 15 key points

These 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...
6
17.7 mi into trip | ~22m in | I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints

Keep slight right at fork onto I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Cedar Falls, IA and Anamosa, IA, road signs point toward Cedar Rapids, Cr E34: Toddville and Robins.

Cedar Rapids

4.9 mi in | ~7m | via IA 27

Cr E34: Toddville

53.9 mi in | ~1h 1m

Robins

53.9 mi in | ~1h 1m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Avenue of the Saints 40.2 mi 44m
County Home Road 16.6 mi 22m
IA 27 12.8 mi 15m
Fairview Road 3 mi 5m
County Road E34 2.7 mi 4m
Main Street 0.4 mi <1m
West Main Street 0.4 mi <1m
South Elm Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Avenue of the Saints — 40.2 mi, about 44m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cedar Falls, IA and Anamosa, 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 right at fork onto I 380; IA 27

36 mi · 38 min · Avenue of the Saints
Toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 46 sec
Toward CR E34: Toddville, Robins
12

Turn sharp left onto CR E34

2.8 mi · 3 min · County Home Road
13

Enter roundabout onto County Home Road

158 ft · 3 sec · County Home Road
14

Continue on County Home Road

1.5 mi · 2 min · County Home Road
15

Enter roundabout onto CR E34

132 ft · 2 sec · County Home Road
16

Continue on CR E34

12 mi · 16 min · County Home Road
17

Continue on CR E34

3.0 mi · 5 min · Fairview Road
18

At end of road, turn left onto CR E34

2.7 mi · 4 min · County Road E34
19

Continue on CR E34

0.3 mi · 30 sec · Elm Street
20

Turn left onto Cemetery Road

41 ft · 2 sec · Cemetery Road
21

Turn right onto CR E34

0.3 mi · 30 sec · South Elm Street
22

At end of road, turn right onto CR E28

0.4 mi · 42 sec · West Main Street
23

Arrive at destination

CR E28

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 38.7 miles from Cedar Falls, IA, or about 44m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 40.2 miles.

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 17 miles or 21m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 38.7 miles or 44m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 17m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Cedar Falls, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Cedar Falls, IA

This is one driving day of about 77.4 miles and 1h 36m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Cedar Falls, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Avenue of the Saints for about 40.2 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 38.7 mi from Cedar Falls, IA · 44m into the drive

Downtown Vinton, IA, IA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Vinton, IA

39 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

Elk Run Heights, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Vinton, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 38.7 miles from Cedar Falls, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Anamosa, IA

The final approach into Anamosa, 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

$12.10 one way

$24.20 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 27 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $13.29 $26.57
premium $4.89 $14.89 $29.79
diesel $5.61 $17.09 $34.18

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$12

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$37–$62

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 27.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 23.2 0 $8.13 $3.72
Efficient EV 19.4 0 $6.77 $3.10
EV Truck/SUV 31 0 $10.84 $4.95

Gas CO2

27 kg

EV CO2

9 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Cedar Falls, IA

Morning in Cedar Falls on Friday

Local time

9:38 AM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Anamosa, IA

Morning in Anamosa on Friday

Local time

9:38 AM

CDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

49°F

Vinton, IA

39 mi in

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

2 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 36m 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 Anamosa, IA covers 77.4 miles and takes about 1h 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Avenue of the Saints, County Home Road, IA 27. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 38.7 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 $12.10 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 1h 36m drive. You will face about 15 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

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.

Between Cedar Falls, IA and Anamosa, IA, road signs point toward Cedar Rapids, Cr E34: Toddville and Robins.

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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