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Trip from Dike, IA to Waterloo, IA

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

Drive Time

23m

Distance

17.3 mi

28 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 22m ★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Dike, IA, IA

Dike, IA

Luis Quintero

city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States

Waterloo, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Dike, IA to Waterloo, IA covers 17.3 miles and takes about 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on US 20, Sergeant Road, US 63 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.4 miles on US 20. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.70 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 17.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

23m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (68%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 23m highway drive covering 17.3 miles, with most of the trip on US 20 and Sergeant Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 11.4 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 13 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 11.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 20 and Sergeant Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near 1st 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 23m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (1st Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 20): Merge point - match speed before joining.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | 1st Street

At end of road, turn left onto 1st Street

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

5
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

3
0.7 mi into trip | ~2m in | US 20

Merge onto US 20

Merge point - match speed before joining

4
12.1 mi into trip | ~15m in

Take the exit toward US 63: Sergeant Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward US 63: Sergeant Road
5
17.2 mi into trip | ~23m in | West 4th Street

Turn right onto West 4th Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 20 11.4 mi 13m
Sergeant Road 3.8 mi 5m
US 63 0.3 mi <1m
1st Street 0.3 mi <1m
Washington Street 0.2 mi <1m
West State Street 0.2 mi <1m
University Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
West 4th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 20 — 11.4 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Dike, IA and Waterloo, IA.

1

Start on West State Street

0.2 mi · 48 sec · West State Street
2

At end of road, turn left onto 1st Street

0.3 mi · 43 sec · 1st Street
3

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 33 sec
4

Merge onto US 20

11 mi · 13 min · US 20
5

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward US 63: Sergeant Road
6

Turn slight right

120 ft · 6 sec
7

Turn straight onto US 63

3.8 mi · 5 min · Sergeant Road
Use the left lane.
8

Turn right onto US 63

388 ft · 9 sec · University Avenue
9

Turn straight onto US 63

0.3 mi · 45 sec · US 63
10

Turn right

0.1 mi · 10 sec
11

Continue on Washington Street

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Washington Street
12

Turn right onto West 4th Street

76 ft · 2 sec · West 4th Street
13

Arrive at destination

West 4th Street

Discover Along the Route

Interesting stops within a short detour of your drive.

Sidecar Coffee

Cafe

Near the end, right off the route

0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 17.3

Waterloo, IA

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Hours: Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00, Sa 07:00-18:00, Su 07...

Starbucks

Cafe

Near the end, short detour

2.4 mi from route ~6 min detour mile 17.3

Waterloo, IA

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Visit website

Starbucks

Cafe

Around the midpoint, ~9 min detour

3.5 mi from route ~9 min detour mile 9.6

Cedar Falls, IA

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Visit website

PearlTea

Cafe

Near the end, short detour

3.3 mi from route ~8 min detour mile 15.3

Cedar Falls, IA

Cuisine: bubble_tea

D'Leon's Taco Rico

Restaurant

Near the end, right off the route

0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 17.3

Waterloo, IA

Cuisine: mexican

Hours: Su-Sa 06:00-23:00

Visit website

Jimmy John's

Fast_food

Near the end, right off the route

0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 17.3

Waterloo, IA

Cuisine: sandwich

Visit website

Domino's

Fast_food

Near the end, right off the route

0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 15.3

Waterloo, IA

Cuisine: pizza

Hours: Mo-Th 10:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-01:00; Su...

Visit website

Dairy Queen

Fast_food

Near the end, right off the route

0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 17.3

Waterloo, IA

Cuisine: ice_cream

Visit website

Taquiera La Placita

Restaurant

Near the end, right off the route

0.1 mi from route mile 17.3

Cuisine: mexican

Ari'z Supper Club and Martini Lounge

Restaurant

Near the end, right off the route

0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 17.3

Hours: Mo-We 16:00-21:00; Th 16:00-22:00; Fr,Sa...

Phelps Youth Pavillion

Museum

Near the end, right off the route

0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 17.3

Hours: We-Sa 10:00-16:00; Su 12:45-16:00

Visit website

National Wrestling Hall Of Fame

Museum

Near the end, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 17.3

POW Memorial

Memorial

Near the end, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 17.3

Statue Of Liberty Replica

Artwork

Near the end, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 17.3

Campanile

Monument

Around the midpoint, ~9 min detour

3.5 mi from route ~9 min detour mile 9.6

Holiday Inn Express

Hotel

Around the midpoint, right off the route

0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour mile 9.6

Cedar Falls, IA

Visit website

Hilton Garden Inn

Hotel

Around the midpoint, right off the route

0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour mile 9.6

Cedar Falls, IA

Visit website

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

Hotel

Around the midpoint, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour mile 9.6

Suburban Extended Stay Hotel

Hotel

Around the midpoint, short detour

1.4 mi from route ~4 min detour mile 9.6

Cedar Falls

Days Inn

Hotel

Near the end, short detour

2 mi from route ~5 min detour mile 17.3

Waterloo, IA

Visit website

Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.70 one way

$5.41 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $2.97 $5.94
premium $4.89 $3.33 $6.66
diesel $5.61 $3.82 $7.64

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.2 0 $1.82 $0.83
Efficient EV 4.3 0 $1.51 $0.69
EV Truck/SUV 6.9 0 $2.42 $1.11

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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 15, 2026

Origin

Dike, IA

Afternoon in Dike on Friday

Local time

12:28 PM

CDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Waterloo, IA

Afternoon in Waterloo on Friday

Local time

12:28 PM

CDT

Current temp

68°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

19 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

23m 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 Dike, IA to Waterloo, IA covers 17.3 miles and takes about 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are US 20, Sergeant Road, US 63. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 8.6 miles from Dike, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.70 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 23m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (1st Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 20): Merge point - match speed before joining.

The route from Dike, IA to Waterloo, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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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