The drive from Waterloo, IA to Le Mars, IA covers 222.2 miles and takes about 4h 29m 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, Highway 20, State Highway 140 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 155.2 miles on Avenue of the Saints.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $34.74 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
111.1 miles from Waterloo, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 11m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 29m. Total distance: 222.2 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 4h 29m drive with frequent turns across 222.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 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 155.2 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 Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 29m drive. You will face about 12 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 0.1 miles (West 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (US 63 / Sergeant Road): 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|Washington Street
Turn right onto Washington Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|West 5th Street
Turn right onto West 5th Street
Navigation decision point
4
3.3 mi into trip|~6m in|US 63 / Sergeant Road
Turn left onto US 63 / Sergeant Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
4.1 mi into trip|~7m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
186.9 mi into trip|~3h 40m in|L21 / Lee Avenue
Turn right onto L21 / Lee Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Avenue of the Saints
155.2 mi
2h 59m
Highway 20
19 mi
22m
State Highway 140
11 mi
15m
160th Street
6.4 mi
7m
Lee Avenue
5.4 mi
7m
State Highway 3
4.7 mi
6m
County Road K64
4 mi
5m
C38
3 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
Avenue of the Saints
— 155.2 mi, about 2h 59m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Le Mars, IA.
1
Start on West 4th Street
76 ft·6 sec·West 4th Street
2
Turn right onto Washington Street
384 ft·10 sec·Washington Street
3
Turn right onto West 5th Street
0.3 mi·34 sec·West 5th Street
4
Continue on West 4th Street
2.4 mi·4 min·West 4th Street
5
Turn slight right onto West Ridgeway Avenue
0.6 mi·1 min·West Ridgeway Avenue
6
Turn left onto US 63
0.8 mi·1 min·Sergeant Road
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·35 sec
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto US 20; IA 27
155 mi·2 hr 59 min·Avenue of the Saints
9
Continue on US 20
6.4 mi·7 min·160th Street
10
Continue on US 20
1.9 mi·2 min·United States Highway 20
11
Continue on US 20
19 mi·22 min·Highway 20
12
Turn right onto L21
5.4 mi·7 min·Lee Avenue
13
Continue on Shamrock Avenue
2.0 mi·2 min·Shamrock Avenue
14
Turn left onto C66
2.0 mi·2 min·320th Street
15
Turn right onto IA 140
11 mi·15 min·State Highway 140
16
Turn left onto CR C38
2.0 mi·2 min·CR C38
17
Continue on CR C38
2.0 mi·2 min·210th Street
18
Continue on CR C38
1.0 mi·1 min·CR C38
19
Turn right onto County Road K64
4.0 mi·5 min·County Road K64
20
Turn left onto IA 3
4.7 mi·6 min·State Highway 3
21
Continue on IA 3
0.7 mi·1 min·Lincoln Street Northeast
22
Continue on IA 3
0.1 mi·18 sec·5th Avenue Northeast
23
Turn right onto 1st Street Northeast
0.3 mi·58 sec·1st Street Northeast
24
Arrive at destination
1st Street 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 111.1 miles from Waterloo, IA, or about 2h 11m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 155.2 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 49 miles or 59m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 111.1 miles or 2h 11m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 34m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Le Mars, IA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Waterloo, 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 Waterloo, IA
This is one driving day of about 222.2 miles and 4h 29m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 49 miles from Waterloo, 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 Avenue of the Saints for about 155.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 111.1 mi from Waterloo, IA
· 2h 11m into the drive
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
66.7
0
$23.33
$10.67
Efficient EV
55.6
0
$19.44
$8.89
EV Truck/SUV
88.9
1
$31.11
$14.22
Gas CO2
78 kg
EV CO2
26 kg (67% 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
Waterloo, IA
Late night
in Waterloo on Friday
Local time
4:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Le Mars, IA
Late night
in Le Mars on Friday
Local time
4:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°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
18 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
4h 29m 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 Waterloo, IA to Le Mars, IA covers 222.2 miles and takes about 4h 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Avenue of the Saints, Highway 20, State Highway 140. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 111.1 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 $34.74 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 4h 29m drive. You will face about 12 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 0.1 miles (West 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (US 63 / Sergeant Road): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Waterloo, IA to Le Mars, 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.
