Origin
Norwalk, IA
Late night in Norwalk on Saturday
Local time
5:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Norwalk, IA to Waukee, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
20.3 mi
33 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Norwalk, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Waukee, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Norwalk, IA to Waukee, IA covers 20.3 miles and takes about 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Hickman Road, I 35, Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.7 miles on Hickman Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.17 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 20.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Norwalk, IA to Waukee, IA covers 20.3 miles and takes about 30m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Hickman Road is the longest continuous segment at about 5.7 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,037 ft
811 ft
Total Climb
446 ft
Total Descent
366 ft
Highest Point
1,037 ft
~18.9 mi in
Elevation Range
226 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 20.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 8.4 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
7.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
5
8.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
I 35
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
14.1 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward US 6
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 6
4
14.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 6 / Hickman Road
Turn left onto US 6 / Hickman Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
4
20.1 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
CR R22 / 6th Street
Turn left onto CR R22 / 6th Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hickman Road | 5.7 mi | 9m |
| I 35 | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway | 4.2 mi | 4m |
| State Highway 28 | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Sunset Drive | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 6th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Ashworth Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Hickman Road
— 5.7 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Norwalk, IA and Waukee, 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
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
State Highway 28
4
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
5
Merge onto IA 5
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I-35 north: Minneapolis
7
Merge onto I 35
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
I 35
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward US 6
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn left onto US 6
5.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Hickman Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
10
Turn left onto CR R22
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
6th Street
11
Turn left onto Ashworth Drive
139 ft
·
4 sec
·
Ashworth Drive
12
Arrive at destination
Ashworth Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.17 one way
$6.35 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.48 | $6.97 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.91 | $7.81 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.48 | $8.96 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.84 | $1.30 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Waukee, IA
Late night in Waukee on Saturday
Local time
5:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°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
4 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
30m 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 Norwalk, IA to Waukee, IA covers 20.3 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Hickman Road, I 35, Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.2 miles from Norwalk, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.17 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 is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 20.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
The main spots that need attention: at 7.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 8.4 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Norwalk, IA to Waukee, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 811 ft to 1,037 ft elevation with about 446 ft of total climbing.
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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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