Origin
Fairfax, IA
Late night in Fairfax on Saturday
Local time
3:55 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fairfax, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
11.5 mi
18 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fairfax, IA
Quang Nguyen Vinh
Trip Overview
The drive from Fairfax, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 11.5 miles and takes about 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Williams Boulevard, Williams Boulevard Southwest, Avenue of the Saints for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3 miles on Williams Boulevard. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.80 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 11.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 20m drive with frequent turns across 11.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Williams Boulevard is the longest continuous segment at about 3 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 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Church Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 11.5 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: at 0.1 miles (Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 7.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Church Street
Turn right onto Church Street
Navigation decision point
5
7.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the ramp toward I 380 North, IA 27 North
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 380 North, IA 27 North
5
9.7 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward Glass Road, 32nd Street, Coldstream, 29th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Glass Road, 32nd Street, Coldstream, 29t...
5
10 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
10.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Oakland Road Northeast
Turn left onto Oakland Road Northeast
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 Fairfax, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Coldstream along the way.
Coldstream
9.7 mi in
|
~17m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Williams Boulevard | 3 mi | 4m |
| Williams Boulevard Southwest | 2 mi | 4m |
| Avenue of the Saints | 2 mi | 2m |
| 1st Avenue West | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Williams Blvd | 1 mi | 1m |
| 32nd Street Northeast | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| 29th Street Northeast | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Oakland Road Northeast | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Williams Boulevard
— 3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairfax, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA.
1
Start on Vanderbilt Street
443 ft
·
21 sec
·
Vanderbilt Street
2
Turn right onto Church Street
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Church Street
3
Turn right onto US 151
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Williams Boulevard
4
Enter roundabout onto US 151
85 ft
·
1 sec
·
Williams Boulevard
5
Continue on US 151
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
Williams Boulevard
6
Continue on US 151 Business
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Williams Blvd
7
Continue on US 151 Business
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Williams Boulevard Southwest
8
Continue on US 151 Business
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
1st Avenue West
9
Turn left onto 3rd Street Southwest
54 ft
·
1 sec
·
3rd Street Southwest
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 380 North, IA 27 North
11
Merge onto I 380; IA 27
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Avenue of the Saints
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward Glass Road, 32nd Street, Coldstream, 29th Street
13
Keep slight right at fork
319 ft
·
8 sec
14
Turn straight onto 29th Street Northeast
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
29th Street Northeast
15
Turn left onto Oakland Road Northeast
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Oakland Road Northeast
16
Turn right onto 32nd Street Northeast
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
32nd Street Northeast
17
Turn right onto Crystal Drive Northeast
184 ft
·
10 sec
·
Crystal Drive Northeast
18
Continue on Crystal Drive Northeast
177 ft
·
7 sec
·
Crystal Drive Northeast
19
Continue on Tiperary Drive Northeast
428 ft
·
18 sec
·
Tiperary Drive Northeast
20
Arrive at destination
Tiperary Drive Northeast
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.80 one way
$3.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.97 | $3.95 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.21 | $4.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.54 | $5.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 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 | 3.4 | 0 | $1.21 | $0.55 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.61 | $0.74 |
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
Cedar Rapids, IA
Late night in Cedar Rapids on Saturday
Local time
3:55 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°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
20m 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 Fairfax, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 11.5 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Williams Boulevard, Williams Boulevard Southwest, Avenue of the Saints. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.7 miles from Fairfax, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.80 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 11.5 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: at 0.1 miles (Church Street): Navigation decision point; at 7.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Fairfax, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Coldstream 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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