Origin
Gowrie, IA
Night in Gowrie on Thursday
Local time
9:58 PM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gowrie, IA to Tara, IA
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
37m
Distance
17.9 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tara, IA
Vladimir Srajber
Trip Overview
The drive from Gowrie, IA to Tara, IA covers 17.9 miles and takes about 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Fairbanks Avenue, Hayes Avenue, George Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.4 miles on Fairbanks Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.80 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 17.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (2%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 37m drive with frequent turns across 17.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Fairbanks Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 10.4 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 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Fairbanks Avenue.
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 17.9 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.6 miles (Fairbanks Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.9 miles (Fairbanks Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 12.1 miles (CR D36): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Fairbanks Avenue
Turn right onto Fairbanks Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
7.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Fairbanks Avenue
Keep slight left at fork onto Fairbanks Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
12.1 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
CR D36
At end of road, turn right onto CR D36
Navigation decision point
5
13.4 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
CR D26 / 230th Street
At end of road, turn left onto CR D26 / 230th Street
Navigation decision point
5
16.2 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
210th Street
At end of road, turn right onto 210th Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks Avenue | 10.4 mi | 18m |
| Hayes Avenue | 1.9 mi | 6m |
| George Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| CR D36 | 1 mi | 1m |
| 220th Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| 210th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| 6th Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Fairbanks Avenue
— 10.4 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gowrie, IA and Tara, IA.
1
Start on Pleasant Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Pleasant Street
2
Turn left onto Main Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto Fairbanks Avenue
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Fairbanks Avenue
4
Continue on Thomas Street
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Thomas Street
5
Turn left onto Mortimer Avenue
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
Mortimer Avenue
6
Continue on Fairbanks Avenue
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Fairbanks Avenue
7
Keep slight left at fork onto Fairbanks Avenue
3.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Fairbanks Avenue
8
Continue on 6th Street
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
6th Street
9
At end of road, turn right onto CR D36
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
CR D36
10
Continue on US 20 Business
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
US 20 Business
11
At end of road, turn left onto CR D26
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
230th Street
12
Turn right onto George Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
George Avenue
13
Turn left onto 220th Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
220th Street
14
Turn right onto Hayes Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Hayes Avenue
15
At end of road, turn right onto 210th Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
210th Street
16
Turn left onto Hayes Avenue
1.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Hayes Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Hayes Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.80 one way
$5.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.07 | $6.15 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.44 | $6.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.95 | $7.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.88 | $0.86 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.57 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Tara, IA
Night in Tara on Thursday
Local time
9:58 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°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
24 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
37m 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 Gowrie, IA to Tara, IA covers 17.9 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Fairbanks Avenue, Hayes Avenue, George Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.9 miles from Gowrie, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.80 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 17.9 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.6 miles (Fairbanks Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.9 miles (Fairbanks Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 12.1 miles (CR D36): Navigation decision point.
The route from Gowrie, IA to Tara, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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