The drive from Melcher-Dallas, IA to Sioux City, IA covers 236.1 miles and takes about 4h 27m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 80, I 29, State Highway 5 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 94.8 miles on I 80.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $36.91 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
118.1 miles from Melcher-Dallas, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 18m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 27m. Total distance: 236.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 4h 27m highway drive covering 236.1 miles, with most of the trip on I 80 and I 29. The longest continuous stretch is about 94.8 miles on I 80.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 80 is the longest continuous segment at about 94.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and I 29. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CR S45 / B Street Northwest.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 236.1 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: at 0.1 miles (CR S45 / B Street Northwest): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 46.3 miles (Ramp 72 J): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 142.1 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 19 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|CR S45 / B Street Northwest
At end of road, turn left onto CR S45 / B Street Northwest
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
7
46.3 mi into trip|~1h in|Ramp 72 J
Take the exit onto Ramp 72 J toward I 80 west: Council Bluffs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 72B
Toward I 80 west: Council Bluffs
9
142.1 mi into trip|~2h 43m in|I 880
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880 toward I 880 West: North Omaha, Sioux City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 27
Toward I 880 West: North Omaha, Sioux City
6
158.8 mi into trip|~3h 1m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 29 North: Sioux City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 0B
Toward I 29 North: Sioux City
7
235.6 mi into trip|~4h 26m in|6th Street
Keep slight left at fork onto 6th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 80
94.8 mi
1h 41m
I 29
75.3 mi
1h 21m
State Highway 5
19.2 mi
22m
I 880
16.7 mi
17m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
12.3 mi
14m
County Road S45
9.2 mi
16m
I 35
4.3 mi
5m
South Floyd Boulevard
0.6 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 94.8 mi, about 1h 41m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Melcher-Dallas, IA and Sioux City, IA.
1
Start on CR S45
462 ft·14 sec·Northeast Main Street
2
At end of road, turn left onto CR S45
367 ft·9 sec·B Street Northwest
3
Turn right onto CR S45
461 ft·9 sec·1st Street Northwest
4
Continue on CR S45
9.2 mi·16 min·County Road S45
5
Continue on this road
0.1 mi·8 sec·this road
6
Continue on IA 5
19 mi·22 min·State Highway 5
7
Merge onto US 65; IA 5
12 mi·14 min·Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi·1 min
Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
9
Merge onto I 35
4.3 mi·5 min·I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit onto Ramp 72 J
0.5 mi·1 min·Ramp 72 J
Exit 72BToward I 80 west: Council BluffsUse the straight / right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 235
0.5 mi·40 sec·John MacVicar Freeway
12
Merge onto I 80
95 mi·1 hr 41 min·I 80
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880
17 mi·17 min·I 880
Exit 27Toward I 880 West: North Omaha, Sioux CityUse the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi·38 sec
Exit 0BToward I 29 North: Sioux City
15
Merge onto I 29
75 mi·1 hr 21 min·I 29
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Toward Floyd Boulevard, Virginia Street
17
Turn right onto South Floyd Boulevard
0.6 mi·1 min·South Floyd Boulevard
Use the right lane.
18
Turn left onto 5th Street
396 ft·14 sec·5th Street
19
Turn right onto Iowa Street
346 ft·7 sec·Iowa Street
20
Keep slight left at fork onto 6th Street
426 ft·17 sec·6th Street
Use the left lane.
21
Turn right onto Court Street
0.2 mi·39 sec·Court Street
22
Turn left onto 9th Street
0.2 mi·45 sec·9th Street
23
Turn right
115 ft·8 sec
24
Arrive at 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 118.1 miles from Melcher-Dallas, IA, or about 2h 18m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 94.8 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 52 miles or 1h 7m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 118.1 miles or 2h 18m 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 39m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Sioux City, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Melcher-Dallas, 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 Melcher-Dallas, IA
This is one driving day of about 236.1 miles and 4h 27m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 52 miles from Melcher-Dallas, 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 I 80 for about 94.8 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 118.1 mi from Melcher-Dallas, IA
· 2h 18m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$36.91 one way
$73.82 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg83 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$40.53
$81.05
premium
$4.89
$45.44
$90.87
diesel
$5.61
$52.13
$104.26
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 82.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
70.8
0
$24.79
$11.33
Efficient EV
59
0
$20.66
$9.44
EV Truck/SUV
94.4
1
$33.05
$15.11
Gas CO2
83 kg
EV CO2
28 kg (66% 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 15, 2026
Origin
Melcher-Dallas, IA
Late night
in Melcher-Dallas on Saturday
Local time
12:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Sioux City, IA
Late night
in Sioux City on Saturday
Local time
12:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
50°F
Avoca, IA
118 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
3 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 27m 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 Melcher-Dallas, IA to Sioux City, IA covers 236.1 miles and takes about 4h 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 80, I 29, State Highway 5. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 118.1 miles from Melcher-Dallas, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $36.91 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 19 significant decision points across 236.1 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: at 0.1 miles (CR S45 / B Street Northwest): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 46.3 miles (Ramp 72 J): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 142.1 miles (I 880): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Melcher-Dallas, IA to Sioux City, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
