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Trip from Riverside, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

50m

Distance

41.7 mi

67 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Excellent

11 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m

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

Downtown Riverside, IA, IA

Riverside, IA

Lorenza Magnaghi

Trip Overview

The drive from Riverside, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 41.7 miles and takes about 50m 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, State Highway 22, 32nd Street Northeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 37.8 miles on Avenue of the Saints. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.52 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 41.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

50m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

11 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: excellent.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (2%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 50m drive with frequent turns across 41.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 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 37.8 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 early in the drive near IA 22 / West 1st Street.

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 50m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (IA 22 / West 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 40 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | IA 22 / West 1st Street

Turn left onto IA 22 / West 1st Street

Navigation decision point

4
1.8 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

5
40 mi into trip | ~46m in

Take the exit toward Glass Road, 32nd Street, Coldstream, 29th Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Glass Road, 32nd Street, Coldstream, 29t...
5
40.2 mi into trip | ~47m in

Keep slight right at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
40.6 mi into trip | ~48m in | Oakland Road Northeast

Turn left onto Oakland Road Northeast

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Avenue of the Saints 37.8 mi 43m
State Highway 22 1 mi 1m
32nd Street Northeast 0.8 mi 1m
East Hickory Street 0.5 mi <1m
West 1st Street 0.3 mi <1m
29th Street Northeast 0.3 mi <1m
Oakland Road Northeast 0.3 mi <1m
Tiperary Drive Northeast <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Avenue of the Saints — 37.8 mi, about 43m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Riverside, IA and Cedar Rapids, IA.

1

Start on North Washburn Street

107 ft · 9 sec · North Washburn Street
2

Turn left onto IA 22

0.3 mi · 26 sec · West 1st Street
3

Continue on IA 22

0.5 mi · 43 sec · East Hickory Street
4

Continue on IA 22

1.0 mi · 1 min · State Highway 22
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
6

Merge onto US 218; IA 27

38 mi · 43 min · Avenue of the Saints
7

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward Glass Road, 32nd Street, Coldstream, 29th Street
8

Keep slight right at fork

319 ft · 8 sec
9

Turn straight onto 29th Street Northeast

0.3 mi · 36 sec · 29th Street Northeast
10

Turn left onto Oakland Road Northeast

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Oakland Road Northeast
11

Turn right onto 32nd Street Northeast

0.8 mi · 1 min · 32nd Street Northeast
12

Turn right onto Crystal Drive Northeast

184 ft · 10 sec · Crystal Drive Northeast
13

Continue on Crystal Drive Northeast

177 ft · 7 sec · Crystal Drive Northeast
14

Continue on Tiperary Drive Northeast

428 ft · 18 sec · Tiperary Drive Northeast
15

Arrive at destination

Tiperary Drive Northeast

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 20.9 mi from Riverside, IA · 25m into the drive

city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Iowa City, IA

21 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.

Popular next leg

Iowa City, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA

30.9 mi · 42m

Pacing Suggestions

Marion, IA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 41.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Iowa City, IA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.9 miles from Riverside, 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.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Cedar Rapids, IA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.52 one way

$13.04 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $7.16 $14.32
premium $4.89 $8.02 $16.05
diesel $5.61 $9.21 $18.41

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

EV Charging Along Route

11 DC fast chargers · Coverage: excellent

Tesla Supercharger

Iowa City, Iowa

Tesla

1 DCFC

Tesla Supercharger

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Tesla

1 DCFC

Tesla Supercharger

Coralville, Iowa

Tesla

1 DCFC

EV Connect Charging Station

Iowa City, Iowa

EV Connect

1 DCFC

Shell Recharge Charging Station

Coralville, Iowa

Shell Recharge

1 DCFC

Blink Charging Station

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Blink

1 DCFC

ChargePoint Charging Station

Coralville, Iowa

ChargePoint

1 DCFC

Shell Recharge Charging Station

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Shell Recharge

1 DCFC

Tesla: 3 Shell Recharge: 2 Blink: 2 Other: 2 EV Connect: 1 ChargePoint: 1

Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.5 0 $4.38 $2.00
Efficient EV 10.4 0 $3.65 $1.67
EV Truck/SUV 16.7 0 $5.84 $2.67

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Riverside, IA

Afternoon in Riverside on Thursday

Local time

1:47 PM

CDT

Current temp

72°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cedar Rapids, IA

Afternoon in Cedar Rapids on Thursday

Local time

1:47 PM

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

23 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

50m 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 Riverside, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 41.7 miles and takes about 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Avenue of the Saints, State Highway 22, 32nd Street Northeast. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 20.9 miles from Riverside, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.52 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 50m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (IA 22 / West 1st Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 40 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Riverside, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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