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Trip from Norwalk, IA to Urbandale, IA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

21m

Distance

12 mi

19 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Fair

3 stations

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 20m ★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m ★

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Download GPX
city in Warren County and Polk County, Iowa, United States

Norwalk, IA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Polk and Dallas counties, Iowa, United States

Urbandale, IA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Norwalk, IA to Urbandale, IA is 12 miles and takes about 21 minutes via State Highway 28, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip connecting two communities within the Midwest region of Iowa. Expect a mixed drive that offers a blend of highway and local road conditions. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick, no-fuss journey, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
State Highway 28 5 mi 7m
Southwest 63rd Street 2 mi 3m
73rd Street 1.9 mi 3m
8th Street 0.6 mi 1m
72nd Street 0.6 mi 1m
Grand Avenue 0.5 mi <1m
Sunset Drive 0.4 mi <1m
63rd Street 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: State Highway 28 — 5 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Norwalk, IA and Urbandale, IA.

1

Start on Main Street

0.2 mi · 56 sec · Main Street
2

Turn right onto IA 28

0.4 mi · 50 sec · Sunset Drive
3

Continue on IA 28

5.0 mi · 7 min · State Highway 28
4

Continue on IA 28

2.0 mi · 3 min · Southwest 63rd Street
5

Continue on IA 28

0.4 mi · 52 sec · 63rd Street;1st Street
6

Turn left onto Grand Avenue

0.5 mi · 59 sec · Grand Avenue
7

Turn right onto 8th Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · 8th Street
8

Continue on 73rd Street

1.9 mi · 3 min · 73rd Street
Use the straight lane.
9

Continue on 72nd Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · 72nd Street
10

Turn right onto Roseland Drive

0.2 mi · 1 min · Roseland Drive
11

Turn left onto 70th Street

348 ft · 10 sec · 70th Street
12

Turn right onto Maryland Drive

13 ft · 0 sec · Maryland Drive
13

Arrive at destination

Maryland Drive

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 8.1 and 12 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
8.1 mi into trip | ~13m in | Grand Avenue

Turn left onto Grand Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
8.6 mi into trip | ~14m in | 8th Street

Turn right onto 8th Street

Navigation decision point

4
11.7 mi into trip | ~20m in | Roseland Drive

Turn right onto Roseland Drive

Navigation decision point

4
11.9 mi into trip | ~21m in | 70th Street

Turn left onto 70th Street

Navigation decision point

5
12 mi into trip | ~21m in | Maryland Drive

Turn right onto Maryland Drive

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.88 one way

$3.75 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $2.06 $4.12
premium $4.89 $2.31 $4.62
diesel $5.61 $2.65 $5.30

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.6 0 $1.26 $0.58
Efficient EV 3 0 $1.05 $0.48
EV Truck/SUV 4.8 0 $1.68 $0.77

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Norwalk, IA

Afternoon in Norwalk on Saturday

Local time

3:40 PM

CDT

Current temp

53°F

Sunny

WNW 13 to 21 mph 1% chance Live 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

Destination

Urbandale, IA

Afternoon in Urbandale on Saturday

Local time

3:40 PM

CDT

Current temp

52°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

1 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

21m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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

What kind of drive is this?

This route features a 42% highway share, meaning you'll experience a mix of faster travel and more local road driving. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5 miles on State Highway 28. As you transition from State Highway 28 to Southwest 63rd Street and then onto 73rd Street, the character of the drive will shift. You'll likely find yourself navigating through residential and commercial areas, with varying speed limits and traffic patterns.

42% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on State Highway 28.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 8.1 miles in near Grand Avenue.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 21m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 8.1 miles (Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.6 miles (8th Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.7 miles (Roseland Drive): Navigation decision point.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 12 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

21m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (42%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5 miles on State Highway 28. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 8.1 miles (Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8.6 miles (8th Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.7 miles (Roseland Drive): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Urbandale, IA before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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