Origin
Emmetsburg, IA
Late night in Emmetsburg on Saturday
Local time
3:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Emmetsburg, IA to Mallard, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
12.6 mi
20 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 18m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Emmetsburg, IA
Christiyana Krüger
Mallard, IA
Veronika Andrews
Trip Overview
Emmetsburg to Mallard is 12.6 miles and takes about 19 minutes via 460th Avenue/Broadway Street/Main Street, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop keeps you within the heart of Iowa's Midwest region, offering a straightforward local drive. It's a quick trip, perfect for a brief excursion or connecting two nearby points without much fuss. You'll be traversing familiar county roads, so expect a relaxed pace and easy navigation for this brief journey.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 12.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This is a turn-heavy local drive, with no highway miles at all, meaning you'll be navigating smaller roads for the entire 12.6 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 11 miles along 460th Avenue. As you progress, the route transitions from 460th Avenue onto Broadway Street and then Main Street, indicating a shift from more open county road to potentially more developed town streets as you approach Mallard. Be prepared for frequent, though likely minor, turns and a consistent local road experience.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 8 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
460th Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 11 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 Lawler Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 5 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 (Lawler Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 18; IA 4 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IA 4 / Broadway Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lawler Street
Turn right onto Lawler Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 18; IA 4 / Main Street
Turn left onto US 18; IA 4 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IA 4 / Broadway Street
Turn right onto IA 4 / Broadway Street
Navigation decision point
4
12.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Inman Avenue
Turn right onto Inman Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
12.5 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
South East Street
Turn left onto South East Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 460th Avenue | 11 mi | 15m |
| Broadway Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Inman Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South East Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Lawler Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| 8th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
460th Avenue
— 11 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Emmetsburg, IA and Mallard, IA.
1
Start on 8th Street
87 ft
·
8 sec
·
8th Street
2
Turn right onto Lawler Street
332 ft
·
14 sec
·
Lawler Street
3
Turn left onto US 18; IA 4
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Main Street
4
Turn right onto IA 4
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Broadway Street
5
Continue on IA 4
11 mi
·
15 min
·
460th Avenue
6
Turn right onto Inman Avenue
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Inman Avenue
7
Turn left onto South East Street
515 ft
·
22 sec
·
South East Street
8
Arrive at destination
South East Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.97 one way
$3.94 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.16 | $4.33 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.42 | $4.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.78 | $5.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.32 | $0.60 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.10 | $0.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.81 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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.
Destination
Mallard, IA
Late night in Mallard on Saturday
Local time
3:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
19m 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 Emmetsburg, IA to Mallard, IA covers 12.6 miles and takes about 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 460th Avenue, Broadway Street, Main Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.3 miles from Emmetsburg, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.97 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 19m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Lawler Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 18; IA 4 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (IA 4 / Broadway Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Emmetsburg, IA to Mallard, 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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