Skip to main content

Trip from Fayette, IA to Council Bluffs, IA

Data updated 0 seconds ago

Drive Time

4h 52m

Distance

291.7 mi

469 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$46

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
4h 39m ★
6 AM
4h 52m
8 AM
5h 19m
10 AM
5h 2m
12 PM
4h 59m
3 PM
5h 3m
5 PM
5h 18m
8 PM
4h 44m

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

Downtown Fayette, IA, IA

Fayette, IA

XT7 Core

city and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States

Council Bluffs, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Fayette, IA to Council Bluffs, IA covers 291.7 miles and takes about 4h 52m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on East 7th Street, Washington Street, Klock Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $45.60 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

145.9 miles from Fayette, IA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 26m into the drive .

Loading map...

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 52m drive with frequent turns across 291.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 49 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East 7th 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. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 4h 52m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fayette, IA to Council Bluffs, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East 7th Street Unavailable Refreshing
Washington Street Unavailable Refreshing
Klock Road Unavailable Refreshing
K Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
100th Street Unavailable Refreshing
Main Street East Unavailable Refreshing
P Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
60th Street Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: East 7th Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Fayette, IA and Council Bluffs, IA.

1

Start on South Main Street

0.3 mi · 42 sec · South Main Street
2

Turn left onto East 7th Street

318 ft · 8 sec · East 7th Street
3

Turn right onto Washington Street

0.3 mi · 30 sec · Washington Street
4

Continue on Klock Road

0.4 mi · 50 sec · Klock Road
5

At the end of the road, turn left onto K Avenue

3.8 mi · 5 min · K Avenue
6

Turn right onto 100th Street

3.2 mi · 4 min · 100th Street
7

Continue on Main Street East

1.8 mi · 2 min · Main Street East
8

Turn left onto P Avenue

4.0 mi · 5 min · P Avenue
9

Continue on 60th Street

9.0 mi · 12 min · 60th Street
10

Continue on 230th Street

13 mi · 17 min · 230th Street
11

Take the ramp left

0.4 mi · 1 min
12

Merge slight left onto Larrabee Avenue

4.7 mi · 5 min · Larrabee Avenue
13

Continue on Logan Avenue

6.9 mi · 8 min · Logan Avenue
14

Turn right onto West Airline Highway

3.0 mi · 5 min · West Airline Highway
15

Turn left onto Airport Boulevard

0.1 mi · 21 sec · Airport Boulevard
16

Take the ramp right toward US 218 north

0.5 mi · 1 min · US 218 north
17

Merge slight left onto Leo P Rooff Expressway

0.6 mi · 41 sec · Leo P Rooff Expressway
18

Take the exit slight right

0.2 mi · 32 sec
19

Keep slight left to continue on IA 27 South, IA 58 South: Hudson, UNI

1.0 mi · 2 min · IA 27 South, IA 58 South: Hudson, UNI
20

Merge slight left onto Avenue of the Saints

1.2 mi · 1 min · Avenue of the Saints
21

Take the exit slight right toward University Avenue

0.2 mi · 28 sec · University Avenue
22

Keep slight right

335 ft · 8 sec
23

Turn straight onto University Avenue

1.8 mi · 2 min · University Avenue
24

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward University Avenue

125 ft · 3 sec · University Avenue
25

Exit the roundabout onto University Avenue

3.5 mi · 4 min · University Avenue
26

Continue on Grundy Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Grundy Road
27

Take the ramp right

0.4 mi · 54 sec
28

Merge slight left

11 mi · 13 min
29

Take the exit slight right toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center

0.4 mi · 59 sec · IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
30

Turn left onto N Avenue

4.5 mi · 6 min · N Avenue
31

Turn right onto 210th Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · 210th Street
32

Turn sharp left onto County Road T37

1.0 mi · 1 min · County Road T37
33

Continue on M Avenue

1.5 mi · 2 min · M Avenue
34

Turn right onto 240th Street

6.3 mi · 9 min · 240th Street
35

Turn left onto Sanford Avenue

16 mi · 21 min · Sanford Avenue
36

Turn right onto 160th Street

4.3 mi · 5 min · 160th Street
37

Keep slight left to continue on North Main Street

1.2 mi · 1 min · North Main Street
38

Continue on Marsh Avenue

5.9 mi · 8 min · Marsh Avenue
39

Turn right

36 mi · 42 min
40

Take the exit slight right toward I 80 west, US 65 south: Des Moines

13 mi · 15 min · I 80 west, US 65 south: Des Moines
41

Continue straight

5.6 mi · 6 min
42

Keep slight right to continue on I 80 West: Omaha

96 mi · 1 hr 42 min · I 80 West: Omaha
43

Keep slight left to continue on I 80 West: Council Bluffs, Omaha Nebraska

19 mi · 20 min · I 80 West: Council Bluffs, Omaha Nebraska
44

Take the exit slight right toward US 6: Council Bluffs, Oakland

0.3 mi · 31 sec · US 6: Council Bluffs, Oakland
45

Turn straight onto East Kanesville Boulevard

2.8 mi · 4 min · East Kanesville Boulevard
46

Continue on East Broadway

0.1 mi · 21 sec · East Broadway
47

Continue on East Kanesville Boulevard

0.9 mi · 2 min · East Kanesville Boulevard
48

Continue on West Broadway

0.4 mi · 51 sec · West Broadway
49

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 145.9 miles from Fayette, IA, or about 2h 26m into the drive.

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 80 miles or 1h 20m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 145.9 miles or 2h 26m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 59m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Council Bluffs, IA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Fayette, IA so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Fayette, IA

This is one driving day of about 291.7 miles and 4h 52m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Fayette, IA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 145.9 mi from Fayette, IA · 2h 26m into the drive

city in Polk County, Iowa, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ankeny, IA

146 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

Waterloo, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ankeny, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 145.9 miles from Fayette, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Council Bluffs, IA

The final approach into Council Bluffs, IA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Council Bluffs, IA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$45.60 one way

$91.21 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 102 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $50.07 $100.14
premium $4.89 $56.14 $112.27
diesel $5.61 $64.40 $128.81

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$46

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$71–$96

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 102.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $31 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 87.5 1 $30.63 $14.00
Efficient EV 72.9 0 $25.52 $11.67
EV Truck/SUV 116.7 1 $40.84 $18.67

Gas CO2

102 kg

EV CO2

34 kg (67% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 data refreshed 5 days ago

Origin

Fayette, IA

Morning in Fayette on Wednesday

Local time

9:46 AM

CDT

Current temp

40°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Council Bluffs, IA

Morning in Council Bluffs on Wednesday

Local time

9:46 AM

CDT

Current temp

76°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

36 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

4h 52m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Fayette, IA to Council Bluffs, IA covers 291.7 miles and takes about 4h 52m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East 7th Street, Washington Street, Klock Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 145.9 miles from Fayette, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $45.60 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 52m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fayette, IA to Council Bluffs, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fayette, IA to Council Bluffs, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Was this route helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Fayette, IA or browse trips ending in Council Bluffs, IA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IA road trips.

Explore maps for Fayette, IA or Council Bluffs, IA on MapSof.net.