Origin
Oelwein, IA
Morning in Oelwein on Friday
Local time
9:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oelwein, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
52.7 mi
85 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 5m
★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oelwein, IA
Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto
Trip Overview
The drive from Oelwein, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 52.7 miles and takes about 1h 10m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Avenue of the Saints, Jamestown Avenue, Jackson Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.2 miles on Avenue of the Saints. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.24 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 52.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 10m drive with frequent turns across 52.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Avenue of the Saints is the longest continuous segment at about 20.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near 10th Street Southeast.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 10m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (10th Street Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (IA 150 / Rock Island Road): Navigation decision point; at 14.8 miles (IA 150; CR D22 / 1st Street East): 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
|
10th Street Southeast
Turn left onto 10th Street Southeast
Navigation decision point
3
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
IA 150 / Rock Island Road
Turn right onto IA 150 / Rock Island Road
Navigation decision point
4
14.8 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
IA 150; CR D22 / 1st Street East
Turn right onto IA 150; CR D22 / 1st Street East
Navigation decision point
4
14.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
IA 150 / 3rd Avenue Southeast
Turn left onto IA 150 / 3rd Avenue Southeast
Navigation decision point
5
51.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue of the Saints | 20.2 mi | 22m |
| Jamestown Avenue | 14.7 mi | 20m |
| Jackson Avenue | 6.5 mi | 9m |
| 31st Avenue | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| 3rd Avenue Southeast | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| 32nd Street Northeast | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Palace Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| 5th Avenue Northeast | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 20.2 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oelwein, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA.
1
Start on South Frederick Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Frederick Avenue
2
Turn left onto 10th Street Southeast
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
10th Street Southeast
3
Turn right onto IA 150
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
·
Rock Island Road
4
Continue on Palace Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Palace Road
5
Continue on IA 150
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Jackson Avenue
6
Continue on IA 150
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street North
7
Continue on IA 150
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Jackson Avenue
8
Continue on IA 150
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Jamestown Avenue
9
Continue on IA 150
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
5th Avenue Northeast
10
Turn right onto IA 150; CR D22
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
1st Street East
11
Turn left onto IA 150
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
3rd Avenue Southeast
12
Continue on Jamestown Avenue
10 mi
·
14 min
·
Jamestown Avenue
13
Continue on IA 150
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
31st Avenue
14
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
15
Merge onto I 380; IA 27
20 mi
·
22 min
·
Avenue of the Saints
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
17
Keep slight left at fork
121 ft
·
4 sec
18
Turn left onto 32nd Street Northeast
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
32nd Street Northeast
19
Turn right onto Crystal Drive Northeast
184 ft
·
10 sec
·
Crystal Drive Northeast
20
Continue on Crystal Drive Northeast
177 ft
·
7 sec
·
Crystal Drive Northeast
21
Continue on Tiperary Drive Northeast
428 ft
·
18 sec
·
Tiperary Drive Northeast
22
Arrive at destination
Tiperary Drive Northeast
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.3 mi from Oelwein, IA · 38m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.3 miles from Oelwein, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Cedar Rapids, IA
The final approach into Cedar Rapids, IA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.24 one way
$16.48 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.05 | $18.09 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.14 | $20.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.64 | $23.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.53 | $2.53 |
| Efficient EV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.61 | $2.11 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.1 | 0 | $7.38 | $3.37 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Cedar Rapids, IA
Morning in Cedar Rapids on Friday
Local time
9:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Urbana, IA
26 mi in
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
17 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
1h 10m 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 Oelwein, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 52.7 miles and takes about 1h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Avenue of the Saints, Jamestown Avenue, Jackson Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.3 miles from Oelwein, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.24 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 straightforward 1h 10m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (10th Street Southeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (IA 150 / Rock Island Road): Navigation decision point; at 14.8 miles (IA 150; CR D22 / 1st Street East): Navigation decision point.
The route from Oelwein, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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