Origin
Waterloo, IA
Morning in Waterloo on Saturday
Local time
7:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterloo, IA to Charles City, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 2m
Distance
50.6 mi
81 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterloo, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Charles City, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Waterloo, IA to Charles City, IA covers 50.6 miles and takes about 1h 2m 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, US 218, South Grand Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 40.7 miles on Avenue of the Saints. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.91 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 2m. Total distance: 50.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (15%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 2m drive with frequent turns across 50.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 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 40.7 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 Washington Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 2m drive. You will face about 7 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 (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.7 miles (US 218): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 6.9 miles (US 218): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Washington Street
Turn right onto Washington Street
Navigation decision point
3
6.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 218
Take the exit onto US 218
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
6
6.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 218
Keep slight right at fork onto US 218 toward US 218 North, IA 27 North: Waverly
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 218 North, IA 27 North: Waverly
5
48.1 mi into trip
|
~57m in
|
US 218 Business
Take the exit onto US 218 Business toward US 18 East, US 218 Business, CR T64: Charles City, New Hampton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 18 East, US 218 Business, CR T64: Cha...
4
50.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
|
US 18 / Brantingham Street
Turn right onto US 18 / Brantingham Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue of the Saints | 40.7 mi | 47m |
| US 218 | 7 mi | 9m |
| South Grand Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Shadow Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| US 218 Business | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Washington Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Brantingham Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Gilbert Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 40.7 mi, about 47m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Charles City, IA.
1
Start on West 4th Street
76 ft
·
6 sec
·
West 4th Street
2
Turn right onto Washington Street
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Washington Street
3
Continue on US 218
6.3 mi
·
7 min
·
US 218
4
Take the exit onto US 218
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
US 218
5
Keep slight right at fork onto US 218
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
US 218
Toward US 218 North, IA 27 North: Waverly
6
Merge onto US 218; IA 27
41 mi
·
47 min
·
Avenue of the Saints
7
Take the exit onto US 218 Business
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
US 218 Business
Toward US 18 East, US 218 Business, CR T64: Charles City, New Hampton
8
Turn right onto US 18; US 218 Business
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Shadow Avenue
9
Continue on US 18; US 218 Business
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
South Grand Avenue
10
Continue on US 18; US 218 Business
383 ft
·
15 sec
·
Gilbert Street
11
Turn right onto US 18
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
Brantingham Street
12
Arrive at destination
US 18
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 25.3 mi from Waterloo, IA · 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.3 miles from Waterloo, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Charles City, IA
The final approach into Charles City, 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
$7.91 one way
$15.82 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.69 | $17.37 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.74 | $19.48 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.17 | $22.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.31 | $2.43 |
| Efficient EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.43 | $2.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.2 | 0 | $7.08 | $3.24 |
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
Charles City, IA
Morning in Charles City on Saturday
Local time
7:42 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
19 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 2m 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 Waterloo, IA to Charles City, IA covers 50.6 miles and takes about 1h 2m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Avenue of the Saints, US 218, South Grand Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 25.3 miles from Waterloo, IA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.91 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 2m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.7 miles (US 218): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 6.9 miles (US 218): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Waterloo, IA to Charles City, 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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