The drive from Cedar Rapids, IA to Conrad, IA covers 83.1 miles and takes about 1h 45m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Lincoln Highway, 73rd Street, Wallace Avenue for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25 miles on Lincoln Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.99 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
41.5 miles from Cedar Rapids, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 50m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 45m. Total distance: 83.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 45m drive with frequent turns across 83.1 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.
Lincoln Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 25 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.1 miles in.
Driving Effort6/10
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 83.1 miles you will encounter 15 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: at 2.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 2.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.6 miles: 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.
4
2.1 mi into trip|~4m in
Take the exit toward IA 100
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward IA 100
6
2.4 mi into trip|~4m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I-380 north, IA 27 north, IA 100 west: Waterloo
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-380 north, IA 27 north, IA 100 west: W...
5
2.6 mi into trip|~5m in
Turn left toward I-380 south, IA 27 south, IA 100 west: Iowa City
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-380 south, IA 27 south, IA 100 west: I...
5
11.1 mi into trip|~15m in
Take the exit toward US 30 West, US 218 North: Tama, Marshalltown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 30 West, US 218 North: Tama, Marshall...
4
80.6 mi into trip|~1h 42m in|CR D67 / 330th Street
Turn left onto CR D67 / 330th Street
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 Rapids, IA to Conrad, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Marshalltown along the way.
Marshalltown
11.1 mi in|~15m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Lincoln Highway
25 mi
28m
73rd Street
24.4 mi
28m
Wallace Avenue
10.8 mi
14m
Collins Road Northeast
8.2 mi
9m
Zeller Avenue
2.5 mi
4m
16th Avenue Southwest
2.4 mi
2m
Main Street Road
2.2 mi
3m
330th Street
2 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Lincoln Highway
— 25 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cedar Rapids, IA and Conrad, IA.
1
Start on Tiperary Drive Northeast
0.1 mi·32 sec·Tiperary Drive Northeast
2
Continue on Crystal Drive Northeast
184 ft·13 sec·Crystal Drive Northeast
3
Turn left onto 32nd Street Northeast
1.2 mi·2 min·32nd Street Northeast
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·30 sec
5
Merge onto I 380; IA 27
0.5 mi·40 sec·Avenue of the Saints
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Toward IA 100
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi·20 sec
Toward I-380 north, IA 27 north, IA 100 west: Waterloo
8
Turn left
0.3 mi·45 sec
Toward I-380 south, IA 27 south, IA 100 west: Iowa City
9
Merge onto IA 100
8.2 mi·9 min·Collins Road Northeast
10
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Toward US 30 West, US 218 North: Tama, Marshalltown
11
Merge onto US 30; US 218
2.4 mi·2 min·16th Avenue Southwest
12
Continue on US 30; US 218
24 mi·28 min·73rd Street
13
Continue on US 30
25 mi·28 min·Lincoln Highway
14
Take the exit
0.4 mi·1 min
15
Turn right onto CR T37
2.5 mi·4 min·Zeller Avenue
16
Turn left onto Main Street Road
2.2 mi·3 min·Main Street Road
17
Continue on Wallace Avenue
11 mi·14 min·Wallace Avenue
18
Continue on CR T29
0.5 mi·39 sec·Kave Avenue
19
Continue on CR T29
0.5 mi·1 min·Center Street
20
Turn left onto CR D67
2.0 mi·2 min·330th Street
21
Continue on CR D67
0.5 mi·56 sec·East Center Street
22
Turn right onto North Main Street
74 ft·2 sec·North Main Street
23
Arrive at destination
North Main 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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 41.5 miles from Cedar Rapids, IA, or about 50m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 25 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 18 miles or 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 41.5 miles or 50m 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 28m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Conrad, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Cedar Rapids, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Cedar Rapids, IA
This is one driving day of about 83.1 miles and 1h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Cedar Rapids, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Lincoln Highway for about 25 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 41.5 mi from Cedar Rapids, IA
· 50m into the drive
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
24.9
0
$8.73
$3.99
Efficient EV
20.8
0
$7.27
$3.32
EV Truck/SUV
33.2
0
$11.63
$5.32
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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 18, 2026
Origin
Cedar Rapids, IA
Late night
in Cedar Rapids on Saturday
Local time
3:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
36°F
Mostly Cloudy
NW 15 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 17 at 11:29PM CDT until April 18 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 17 at 10:38PM CDT until April 24 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Destination
Conrad, IA
Late night
in Conrad on Saturday
Local time
3:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
32°F
Mostly Cloudy
NW 17 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 17 at 11:29PM CDT until April 18 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 17 at 10:38PM CDT until April 24 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
48°F
Belle Plaine, IA
42 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
4 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 45m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Cedar Rapids, IA to Conrad, IA covers 83.1 miles and takes about 1h 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Lincoln Highway, 73rd Street, Wallace Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 41.5 miles from Cedar Rapids, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.99 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 83.1 miles you will encounter 15 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: at 2.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 2.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Cedar Rapids, IA to Conrad, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Marshalltown along the way.
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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
