The drive from Remsen, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 262.9 miles and takes about 5h 10m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on 220th Street, Avenue of the Saints, Highway 20 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 165.9 miles on 220th Street.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $41.10 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
131.5 miles from Remsen, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 40m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 10m. Total distance: 262.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 5h 10m drive with frequent turns across 262.9 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.
220th Street is the longest continuous segment at about 165.9 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 0.4 miles in near IA 3 / State Highway 3.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 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 0.4 miles (IA 3 / State Highway 3): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (IA 140 / State Highway 140): Lane positioning matters here; at 25.7 miles (US 20 / Highway 20): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|IA 3 / State Highway 3
At end of road, turn left onto IA 3 / State Highway 3
Navigation decision point
5
1.2 mi into trip|~3m in|IA 140 / State Highway 140
Turn right onto IA 140 / State Highway 140
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
25.7 mi into trip|~37m in|US 20 / Highway 20
Turn left onto US 20 / Highway 20
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
218.9 mi into trip|~4h 21m in|I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
5
261.5 mi into trip|~5h 7m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
220th Street
165.9 mi
3h 11m
Avenue of the Saints
42.3 mi
45m
Highway 20
19 mi
22m
State Highway 140
15.1 mi
20m
United States Highway 20
8.3 mi
10m
Lee Avenue
5.4 mi
7m
320th Street
2 mi
2m
Shamrock Avenue
2 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
220th Street
— 165.9 mi, about 3h 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Remsen, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA.
1
Start on South Washington Street
0.4 mi·1 min·South Washington Street
2
At end of road, turn left onto IA 3
0.8 mi·1 min·State Highway 3
3
Turn right onto IA 140
15 mi·20 min·State Highway 140
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left onto C66
2.0 mi·2 min·320th Street
5
Turn right onto Shamrock Avenue
2.0 mi·2 min·Shamrock Avenue
6
Continue on L21
5.4 mi·7 min·Lee Avenue
7
Turn left onto US 20
19 mi·22 min·Highway 20
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on US 20
8.3 mi·10 min·United States Highway 20
9
Continue on US 20
166 mi·3 hr 11 min·220th Street
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380; IA 27
42 mi·45 min·Avenue of the Saints
Toward I 380 South, IA 27 South: Cedar Rapids
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi·34 sec
12
Keep slight left at fork
121 ft·4 sec
13
Turn left onto 32nd Street Northeast
1.3 mi·2 min·32nd Street Northeast
14
Turn right onto Crystal Drive Northeast
184 ft·10 sec·Crystal Drive Northeast
15
Continue on Crystal Drive Northeast
177 ft·7 sec·Crystal Drive Northeast
16
Continue on Tiperary Drive Northeast
428 ft·18 sec·Tiperary Drive Northeast
17
Arrive at destination
Tiperary Drive Northeast
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 131.5 miles from Remsen, IA, or about 2h 40m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 165.9 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 58 miles or 1h 15m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 131.5 miles or 2h 40m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 17m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cedar Rapids, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Remsen, 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 Remsen, IA
This is one driving day of about 262.9 miles and 5h 10m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 58 miles from Remsen, 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 220th Street for about 165.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 131.5 mi from Remsen, IA
· 2h 40m into the drive
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $28 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
78.9
0
$27.60
$12.62
Efficient EV
65.7
0
$23.00
$10.52
EV Truck/SUV
105.2
1
$36.81
$16.83
Gas CO2
92 kg
EV CO2
31 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
Remsen, IA
Late night
in Remsen on Friday
Local time
5:22 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Cedar Rapids, IA
Late night
in Cedar Rapids on Friday
Local time
5:22 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
5h 10m 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 Remsen, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 262.9 miles and takes about 5h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are 220th Street, Avenue of the Saints, Highway 20. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 131.5 miles from Remsen, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $41.10 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 straightforward 5h 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 0.4 miles (IA 3 / State Highway 3): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (IA 140 / State Highway 140): Lane positioning matters here; at 25.7 miles (US 20 / Highway 20): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Remsen, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
EV charging comes from the
NREL Alternative Fuels
dataset.
National park proximity is from the
NPS API.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
