The drive from Clarksville, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 85.9 miles and takes about 1h 43m 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, Leo P Rooff Expressway, I 380 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 57.6 miles on Avenue of the Saints.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.43 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
42.9 miles from Clarksville, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 54m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 43m. Total distance: 85.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 43m drive with frequent turns across 85.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 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 57.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IA 188 / South Main Street.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 85.9 miles you will encounter 12 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 (IA 188 / South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (IA 3 / 210th Street): Navigation decision point; at 35.3 miles (I 380): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|IA 188 / South Main Street
Turn left onto IA 188 / South Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.8 mi into trip|~4m in|IA 3 / 210th Street
At end of road, turn left onto IA 3 / 210th Street
Navigation decision point
6
35.3 mi into trip|~45m in|I 380
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380 toward I-380 south, US 20, IA 27: Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Cedar Falls
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-380 south, US 20, IA 27: Cedar Rapids,...
6
41.9 mi into trip|~53m 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
5
84.4 mi into trip|~1h 40m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Clarksville, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA, road signs point toward Dubuque and Cedar Falls.
Dubuque
35.3 mi in|~45m|via I 380
Cedar Falls
35.3 mi in|~45m|via I 380
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Avenue of the Saints
57.6 mi
1h 3m
Leo P Rooff Expressway
6.7 mi
8m
I 380
6.5 mi
7m
State Highway 3
3.4 mi
4m
Washington Street
2.4 mi
3m
210th Street
2.3 mi
3m
State Highway 188
1.8 mi
2m
230th Street
1.7 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 57.6 mi, about 1h 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clarksville, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA.
1
Start on East Superior Street
37 ft·6 sec·East Superior Street
2
Turn left onto IA 188
1.0 mi·1 min·South Main Street
3
Continue on State Highway 188
1.8 mi·2 min·State Highway 188
4
At end of road, turn left onto IA 3
2.3 mi·3 min·210th Street
5
Continue on IA 3
3.4 mi·4 min·State Highway 3
6
Continue on IA 3
1.7 mi·2 min·230th Street
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·56 sec
8
Merge onto US 218; IA 27
15 mi·17 min·Avenue of the Saints
9
Take the exit
317 ft·7 sec
Toward US 218 south: Waterloo
10
Continue on US 218
0.3 mi·39 sec·US 218
Toward US 218 south: Waterloo
11
Merge onto US 218
6.7 mi·8 min·Leo P Rooff Expressway
12
Continue on US 218
2.4 mi·3 min·Washington Street
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380
6.5 mi·7 min·I 380
Toward I-380 south, US 20, IA 27: Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Cedar Falls
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380; IA 27
42 mi·45 min·Avenue of the Saints
Toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi·34 sec
16
Keep slight left at fork
121 ft·4 sec
17
Turn left onto 32nd Street Northeast
1.3 mi·2 min·32nd Street Northeast
18
Turn right onto Crystal Drive Northeast
184 ft·10 sec·Crystal Drive Northeast
19
Continue on Crystal Drive Northeast
177 ft·7 sec·Crystal Drive Northeast
20
Continue on Tiperary Drive Northeast
428 ft·18 sec·Tiperary Drive Northeast
21
Arrive at destination
Tiperary Drive Northeast
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 42.9 miles from Clarksville, IA, or about 54m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 57.6 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 19 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 42.9 miles or 54m 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 27m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cedar Rapids, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Clarksville, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Clarksville, IA
This is one driving day of about 85.9 miles and 1h 43m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Clarksville, 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 57.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 42.9 mi from Clarksville, IA
· 54m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.43 one way
$26.86 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg30 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$14.75
$29.49
premium
$4.89
$16.53
$33.06
diesel
$5.61
$18.97
$37.93
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 30.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
8 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
Tesla Supercharger
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Tesla
1 DCFC
Tesla Supercharger
Waterloo, Iowa
Tesla
1 DCFC
Blink Charging Station
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Blink
1 DCFC
Blink Charging Station
Center Point, Iowa
Blink
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Waterloo, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
Electric Vehicle Charging Station
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Other
1 DCFC
Blink Charging Station
Shell Rock, Iowa
Blink
1 DCFC
Blink: 3
Tesla: 2
Shell Recharge: 2
Other: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
25.8
0
$9.02
$4.12
Efficient EV
21.5
0
$7.52
$3.44
EV Truck/SUV
34.4
0
$12.03
$5.50
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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 18, 2026
Origin
Clarksville, IA
Morning
in Clarksville on Saturday
Local time
7:24 AM
CDT
Current temp
32°F
Mostly Clear
NW 18 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 18 at 2:33AM 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
Cedar Rapids, IA
Morning
in Cedar Rapids on Saturday
Local time
7:24 AM
CDT
Current temp
34°F
Mostly Cloudy
NW 15 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 18 at 2:33AM 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
68°F
Waterloo, IA
43 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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 43m 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 Clarksville, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 85.9 miles and takes about 1h 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Avenue of the Saints, Leo P Rooff Expressway, I 380. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 42.9 miles from Clarksville, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.43 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 85.9 miles you will encounter 12 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 (IA 188 / South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (IA 3 / 210th Street): Navigation decision point; at 35.3 miles (I 380): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Clarksville, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA, road signs point toward Dubuque and Cedar Falls.
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.
