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Trip from Vinton, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

41m

Distance

32.1 mi

52 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

5 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 38m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m

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

Downtown Vinton, IA, IA

Vinton, IA

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

Vinton to Cedar Rapids is 32.1 miles and takes about 41 minutes via Avenue of the Saints, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Iowa, offering a straightforward drive through the Midwest. Expect a route with frequent turns, rather than a long stretch of highway, making it feel more like navigating local roads. Given its brevity, this journey is perfect for a quick relocation or an easy add-on to another trip, with minimal time commitment.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 32.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

41m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

This route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive' with no highway mileage, meaning you'll be navigating surface streets and county roads for the entire 32.1 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 18.7 miles along Avenue of the Saints, after which you can anticipate more frequent changes in direction. Don't expect a high-speed interstate experience; instead, prepare for a pace that requires attention to navigation and local traffic patterns. The drive will feel more like a connected series of local journeys than a single, continuous highway run.

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 18.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 1st Avenue.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 32.1 miles you will encounter 8 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 (1st Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 10.3 miles (55th Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 11.5 miles: Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 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 | 1st Avenue

Turn right onto 1st Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
10.3 mi into trip | ~14m in | 55th Street

Enter roundabout onto 55th Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

3
11.5 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

3
11.8 mi into trip | ~17m in | I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints

Merge onto I 380; IA 27 / Avenue of the Saints

Merge point - match speed before joining

5
30.7 mi into trip | ~38m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Avenue of the Saints 18.7 mi 20m
55th Street 7.6 mi 10m
24th Avenue Drive 3.8 mi 5m
32nd Street Northeast 1.3 mi 2m
1st Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Tiperary Drive Northeast <0.1 mi <1m
Crystal Drive Northeast <0.1 mi <1m
East 3rd Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Avenue of the Saints — 18.7 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on East 3rd Street

211 ft · 11 sec · East 3rd Street
2

Turn right onto 1st Avenue

446 ft · 17 sec · 1st Avenue
3

Continue on IA 150

3.8 mi · 5 min · 24th Avenue Drive
4

Turn straight onto IA 150

6.4 mi · 8 min · 55th Street
5

Enter roundabout onto 55th Street

151 ft · 2 sec · 55th Street
6

Continue on 55th Street

1.2 mi · 1 min · 55th Street
7

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 34 sec
8

Merge onto I 380; IA 27

19 mi · 20 min · Avenue of the Saints
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 34 sec
10

Keep slight left at fork

121 ft · 4 sec
11

Turn left onto 32nd Street Northeast

1.3 mi · 2 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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.77 one way

$9.53 round trip

$3.77/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $5.37 $10.75
premium $4.65 $5.88 $11.76
diesel $5.30 $6.70 $13.41

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.6 0 $3.37 $1.54
Efficient EV 8 0 $2.81 $1.28
EV Truck/SUV 12.8 0 $4.49 $2.05

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Vinton, IA

Late night in Vinton on Saturday

Local time

5:25 AM

CDT

Current temp

33°F

Mostly Cloudy

NW 15 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Destination

Cedar Rapids, IA

Late night in Cedar Rapids on Saturday

Local time

5:25 AM

CDT

Current temp

49°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

16 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

41m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Vinton, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA covers 32.1 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Avenue of the Saints, 55th Street, 24th Avenue Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 16.1 miles from Vinton, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.77 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 32.1 miles you will encounter 8 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 (1st Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 10.3 miles (55th Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 11.5 miles: Navigation decision point.

The route from Vinton, 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. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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