The drive from Garner, IA to Davenport, IA covers 238.8 miles and takes about 4h 44m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 18, Avenue of the Saints, I 80 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 94.7 miles on US 18.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $37.33 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
119.4 miles from Garner, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 23m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 44m. Total distance: 238.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Drive Character
This is a 4h 44m highway drive covering 238.8 miles, with most of the trip on US 18 and Avenue of the Saints. The longest continuous stretch is about 94.7 miles on US 18.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 18 is the longest continuous segment at about 94.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 18 and Avenue of the Saints. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near State Street.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 20 significant decision points across 238.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (State Street): Navigation decision point; at 13 miles (US 18): Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.9 miles (US 18; IA 27): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 20 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|State Street
Turn right onto State Street
Navigation decision point
6
13 mi into trip|~18m in|US 18
Take the ramp onto US 18 toward I 35 south, US 18 east, IA 27 south: Des Moines
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 35 south, US 18 east, IA 27 south: Des...
5
15.9 mi into trip|~22m in|US 18; IA 27
Take the exit onto US 18; IA 27 toward US 18 East, IA 27 South: Mason City, Charles City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 18 East, IA 27 South: Mason City, Cha...
6
107 mi into trip|~2h 9m in|I 380
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380 toward I-380 south, US 20, IA 27: Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Cedar Falls
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-380 south, US 20, IA 27: Cedar Rapids,...
6
113.6 mi into trip|~2h 17m in|I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Garner, IA and Davenport, IA, road signs point toward Charles City, Dubuque and Cedar Falls.
Charles City
15.9 mi in|~22m|via US 18; IA 27
Dubuque
107 mi in|~2h 9m|via I 380
Cedar Falls
107 mi in|~2h 9m|via I 380
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 18
94.7 mi
1h 53m
Avenue of the Saints
67.3 mi
1h 14m
I 80
49.7 mi
54m
Leo P Rooff Expressway
6.7 mi
8m
I 380
6.5 mi
7m
West Kimberly Road
3 mi
4m
Hickory Grove Road
2.5 mi
5m
Washington Street
2.4 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
US 18
— 94.7 mi, about 1h 53m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Garner, IA and Davenport, IA.
1
Start on East 3rd Street
69 ft·5 sec·East 3rd Street
2
Turn right onto State Street
0.2 mi·38 sec·State Street
3
Turn right onto US 18
13 mi·18 min·US 18
4
Take the ramp onto US 18
0.3 mi·37 sec·US 18
Toward I 35 south, US 18 east, IA 27 south: Des Moines
5
Merge onto I 35; US 18; IA 27
2.6 mi·2 min·Avenue of the Saints
6
Take the exit onto US 18; IA 27
0.4 mi·26 sec·US 18; IA 27
Toward US 18 East, IA 27 South: Mason City, Charles City
7
Turn slight right onto US 18; IA 27
81 mi·1 hr 34 min·US 18; IA 27
Toward US 18 East, IA 27 South: Mason City, Charles City
8
Take the exit
317 ft·7 sec
Toward US 218 south: Waterloo
9
Continue on US 218
0.3 mi·39 sec·US 218
Toward US 218 south: Waterloo
10
Merge onto US 218
6.7 mi·8 min·Leo P Rooff Expressway
11
Continue on US 218
2.4 mi·3 min·Washington Street
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380
6.5 mi·7 min·I 380
Toward I-380 south, US 20, IA 27: Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Cedar Falls
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380; IA 27
65 mi·1 hr 11 min·Avenue of the Saints
Toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi·33 sec
Toward I 80
15
Keep slight left at fork
1.2 mi·2 min
Toward I 80 East: Davenport
16
Merge onto I 80
50 mi·54 min·I 80
17
Take the exit onto US 6
1.1 mi·2 min·US 6
Toward I 280 East, US 6 East, US 61 South: Rock Island, Moline
18
Take the exit onto US 6
0.4 mi·51 sec·US 6
Toward US 6 East, CR F58 West: Kimberly Road, Walcott
19
Continue on US 6
3.0 mi·4 min·West Kimberly Road
20
Turn slight right onto Hickory Grove Road
2.5 mi·5 min·Hickory Grove Road
21
Turn left onto US 6 Hist
0.9 mi·2 min·West Locust Street
22
Turn right onto Gaines Street
0.3 mi·49 sec·Gaines Street
23
Turn left onto West 14th Street
0.3 mi·45 sec·West 14th Street
24
At end of road, turn right onto US 61 Business
0.7 mi·1 min·Harrison Street
25
Turn right onto West 4th Street
165 ft·4 sec·West 4th Street
26
Arrive at destination
West 4th Street
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 119.4 miles from Garner, IA, or about 2h 23m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 94.7 miles.
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 53 miles or 1h 5m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 119.4 miles or 2h 23m 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 49m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Davenport, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Garner, 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 Garner, IA
This is one driving day of about 238.8 miles and 4h 44m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 53 miles from Garner, 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.
The longest stretch is on US 18 for about 94.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 119.4 mi from Garner, IA
· 2h 23m into the drive
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
71.6
0
$25.07
$11.46
Efficient EV
59.7
0
$20.90
$9.55
EV Truck/SUV
95.5
1
$33.43
$15.28
Gas CO2
84 kg
EV CO2
28 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 18, 2026
Origin
Garner, IA
Morning
in Garner on Saturday
Local time
6:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Davenport, IA
Morning
in Davenport on Saturday
Local time
6:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
39°F
Cloudy
NW 15 mph8% chanceLive forecast
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued April 18 at 2:33AM CDT until April 18 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 17 at 10:38PM CDT until April 24 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
49°F
Vinton, IA
119 mi in
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
32 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
4h 44m 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 Garner, IA to Davenport, IA covers 238.8 miles and takes about 4h 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 18, Avenue of the Saints, I 80. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 119.4 miles from Garner, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $37.33 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 demanding drive. With 20 significant decision points across 238.8 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (State Street): Navigation decision point; at 13 miles (US 18): Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.9 miles (US 18; IA 27): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Garner, IA and Davenport, IA, road signs point toward Charles City, Dubuque and Cedar Falls.
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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
