The drive from Cedar Falls, IA to Ottumwa, IA covers 121.9 miles and takes about 2h 55m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on State Highway 21, Holsted Street, 220th Street for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.9 miles on State Highway 21.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $19.06 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.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
60.9 miles from Cedar Falls, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 28m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 55m. Total distance: 121.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
The drive from Cedar Falls, IA to Ottumwa, IA covers 121.9 miles and takes about 2h 55m, 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 34 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
State Highway 21 is the longest continuous segment at about 24.9 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
992 ft674 ft
Total Climb
316 ft
Total Descent
520 ft
Highest Point
992 ft
~26.1 mi in
Elevation Range
318 ft
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 Main Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 55m drive. You will face about 16 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 16 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...
7
9.6 mi into trip|~13m in
Take the exit toward IA 21: Hawkeye Road, Dysart
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward IA 21: Hawkeye Road, Dysart
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 Ottumwa, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Dysart along the way.
Dysart
9.6 mi in|~13m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
State Highway 21
24.9 mi
36m
Holsted Street
20.3 mi
29m
220th Street
13.6 mi
20m
Hawkeye Road
10.6 mi
15m
Highway 21
10 mi
13m
State Highway 149
10 mi
14m
B Avenue
5.8 mi
8m
IA 27
4.7 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
State Highway 21
— 24.9 mi, about 36m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cedar Falls, IA and Ottumwa, 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 southUse 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
4.7 mi·5 min·IA 27
Toward US 20 East, IA 27 South: Dubuque, Cedar Rapids
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi·57 sec
Toward IA 21: Hawkeye Road, DysartUse the right lane.
11
Turn right onto IA 21
11 mi·15 min·Hawkeye Road
12
Continue on IA 21
8.0 mi·12 min·State Highway 21
13
At end of road, turn left onto IA 8; IA 21
2.5 mi·3 min·58th Street
14
Turn right onto IA 21
20 mi·29 min·Holsted Street
15
Turn right onto IA 21
0.8 mi·1 min·7th Avenue
16
Continue on IA 21
1.5 mi·2 min·11th Avenue
17
Continue on IA 21
1.1 mi·1 min·State Highway 21
18
Keep slight right at fork onto IA 21
1.4 mi·2 min·State Highway 21
19
Continue on IA 21
5.8 mi·8 min·B Avenue
20
Turn right onto US 6
4.2 mi·5 min·US 6
21
Turn left onto IA 21
11 mi·15 min·220th Street
22
Continue on IA 21
2.7 mi·4 min·State Highway 21
23
Continue on IA 21
3.0 mi·4 min·220th Street
24
Continue on IA 21
7.0 mi·10 min·State Highway 21
25
Continue on IA 21
1.5 mi·2 min·North Barnes Street
26
Continue on IA 21
4.7 mi·6 min·State Highway 21
27
Continue on IA 21
1.1 mi·1 min·North Center Street
28
Continue on IA 21
10 mi·13 min·Highway 21
29
Turn right onto IA 149
4.0 mi·5 min·State Highway 149
30
At end of road, turn left onto IA 149
6.0 mi·8 min·State Highway 149
31
Continue on US 63 Business; IA 149
2.6 mi·3 min·Old US Highway 63
32
Continue on US 63 Business; IA 149
2.2 mi·2 min·South Wapello Street
33
Turn left onto West Fourth Street
0.2 mi·27 sec·West Fourth Street
34
Arrive at destination
West Fourth Street
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 60.9 miles from Cedar Falls, IA, or about 1h 28m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 24.9 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 27 miles or 39m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 60.9 miles or 1h 28m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 25m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ottumwa, 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.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Cedar Falls, IA
This is one driving day of about 121.9 miles and 2h 55m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from Cedar Falls, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on State Highway 21 for about 24.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 60.9 mi from Cedar Falls, IA
· 1h 28m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$19.06 one way
$38.12 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg43 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$20.92
$41.85
premium
$4.89
$23.46
$46.92
diesel
$5.61
$26.91
$53.83
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$19
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$44–$69
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 42.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
36.6
0
$12.80
$5.85
Efficient EV
30.5
0
$10.67
$4.88
EV Truck/SUV
48.8
0
$17.07
$7.80
Gas CO2
43 kg
EV CO2
14 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
Late night
in Cedar Falls on Saturday
Local time
3:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Ottumwa, IA
Late night
in Ottumwa on Saturday
Local time
3:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
50°F
Brooklyn, IA
61 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
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
2h 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 Cedar Falls, IA to Ottumwa, IA covers 121.9 miles and takes about 2h 55m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are State Highway 21, Holsted Street, 220th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 60.9 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 $19.06 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a straightforward 2h 55m drive. You will face about 16 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.
On the drive from Cedar Falls, IA to Ottumwa, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Dysart along the way.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 674 ft to 992 ft elevation with about 316 ft of total climbing.
