Origin
Fairfax, IA
Late night in Fairfax on Saturday
Local time
4:51 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fairfax, IA to Waterloo, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 4m
Distance
63.4 mi
102 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fairfax, IA
Quang Nguyen Vinh
Waterloo, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Fairfax, IA to Waterloo, IA covers 63.4 miles and takes about 1h 4m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Church Street, Williams Boulevard, Williams Blvd for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.41 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 4m. Total distance: 63.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m 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
Expect a 1h 4m drive with frequent turns across 63.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Church Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Fairfax, IA to Waterloo, IA is easy. At 1h 4m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fairfax, IA to Waterloo, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Church Street | — | — |
| Williams Boulevard | — | — |
| Williams Blvd | — | — |
| Williams Boulevard Southwest | — | — |
| 1st Avenue West | — | — |
| 3rd Street Southwest | — | — |
| I 380 North | — | — |
| Avenue of the Saints | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Church Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairfax, IA and Waterloo, IA.
1
Start on Vanderbilt Street
443 ft
·
22 sec
·
Vanderbilt Street
2
Turn right onto Church Street
0.1 mi
·
36 sec
·
Church Street
3
Turn right onto Williams Boulevard
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Williams Boulevard
4
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Williams Boulevard
85 ft
·
2 sec
·
Williams Boulevard
5
Exit the roundabout onto Williams Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Williams Boulevard
6
Continue on Williams Blvd
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Williams Blvd
7
Continue on Williams Boulevard Southwest
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Williams Boulevard Southwest
8
Continue on 1st Avenue West
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
1st Avenue West
9
Turn left onto 3rd Street Southwest
56 ft
·
2 sec
·
3rd Street Southwest
10
Take the ramp slight right toward I 380 North, IA 27 North
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
I 380 North, IA 27 North
11
Merge slight left onto Avenue of the Saints
51 mi
·
56 min
·
Avenue of the Saints
12
Keep slight right to continue on I-380 north, US 218 north: Waterloo
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
I-380 north, US 218 north: Waterloo
13
Continue on Washington Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Street
14
Turn left onto West 4th Street
397 ft
·
13 sec
·
West 4th Street
15
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 31.7 mi from Fairfax, IA · 32m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.7 miles from Fairfax, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Waterloo, IA
The final approach into Waterloo, IA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.41 one way
$18.83 round trip
$3.77/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $10.62 | $21.23 |
| premium | $4.65 | $11.62 | $23.23 |
| diesel | $5.30 | $13.24 | $26.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.2 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19 | 0 | $6.66 | $3.04 |
| Efficient EV | 15.9 | 0 | $5.55 | $2.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.4 | 0 | $8.88 | $4.06 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Waterloo, IA
Late night in Waterloo on Saturday
Local time
4:51 AM
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
1h 4m 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 Waterloo, IA covers 63.4 miles and takes about 1h 4m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Church Street, Williams Boulevard, Williams Blvd. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 31.7 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 $9.41 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.
The drive from Fairfax, IA to Waterloo, IA is easy. At 1h 4m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fairfax, IA to Waterloo, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fairfax, 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. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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