The drive from Sioux City, IA to Stuart, IA covers 161.1 miles and takes about 2h 58m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 29, I 80, I 880 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 75.6 miles on I 29.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $25.19 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
80.6 miles from Sioux City, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 30m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 58m. Total distance: 161.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 2h 58m highway drive covering 161.1 miles, with most of the trip on I 29 and I 80. The longest continuous stretch is about 75.6 miles on I 29.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 29 is the longest continuous segment at about 75.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 29 and I 80. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 9th Street.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 161.1 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Court Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (5th Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|9th Street
Turn left onto 9th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~1m in|Court Street
Turn right onto Court Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|5th Street
Turn left onto 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
0.7 mi into trip|~2m in|Floyd Boulevard
Turn right onto Floyd Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
94 mi into trip|~1h 45m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 80 East: Des Moines
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16A
Toward I 80 East: Des Moines
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 29
75.6 mi
1h 21m
I 80
65.3 mi
1h 10m
I 880
16 mi
17m
South Division Street
0.8 mi
1m
Floyd Boulevard
0.6 mi
1m
Court Street
0.3 mi
<1m
9th Street
0.2 mi
<1m
5th Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 29
— 75.6 mi, about 1h 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sioux City, IA and Stuart, IA.
1
Start on this road
115 ft·13 sec·this road
2
Turn left onto 9th Street
0.2 mi·45 sec·9th Street
3
Turn right onto Court Street
0.3 mi·54 sec·Court Street
4
Turn left onto 5th Street
0.2 mi·28 sec·5th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Turn right onto Floyd Boulevard
0.6 mi·1 min·Floyd Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·38 sec
Toward I 29 South
7
Merge onto I 29
76 mi·1 hr 21 min·I 29
8
Take the exit
0.8 mi·1 min
Exit 71Toward I 880 East: Des Moines
9
Continue on I 880
16 mi·17 min·I 880
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi·43 sec
Exit 16AToward I 80 East: Des MoinesUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 80
65 mi·1 hr 10 min·I 80
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi·33 sec
Toward CR P28: Stuart, Panora
13
Keep slight left at fork
134 ft·6 sec
14
Turn left onto CR P28
0.8 mi·1 min·South Division Street
15
Arrive at destination
CR P28
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 80.6 miles from Sioux City, IA, or about 1h 30m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 75.6 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 35 miles or 40m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 80.6 miles or 1h 30m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Stuart, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Sioux City, 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 Sioux City, IA
This is one driving day of about 161.1 miles and 2h 58m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 35 miles from Sioux City, 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 I 29 for about 75.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 80.6 mi from Sioux City, IA
· 1h 30m into the drive
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $17 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
48.3
0
$16.92
$7.73
Efficient EV
40.3
0
$14.10
$6.44
EV Truck/SUV
64.4
0
$22.55
$10.31
Gas CO2
56 kg
EV CO2
19 kg (66% 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
Sioux City, IA
Morning
in Sioux City on Friday
Local time
6:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Stuart, IA
Morning
in Stuart on Friday
Local time
6:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°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
24 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 58m 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 Sioux City, IA to Stuart, IA covers 161.1 miles and takes about 2h 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 29, I 80, I 880. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 80.6 miles from Sioux City, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $25.19 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 161.1 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Court Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (5th Street): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Sioux City, IA to Stuart, 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.
