The drive from Waterloo, IA to Melcher-Dallas, IA covers 141.3 miles and takes about 3h 5m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on IA 330, IA 5, Avenue of the Saints for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mixed drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 36.4 miles on IA 330.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $22.09 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
70.6 miles from Waterloo, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 35m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 5m. Total distance: 141.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Waterloo, IA to Melcher-Dallas, IA covers 141.3 miles and takes about 3h 5m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 30 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
IA 330 is the longest continuous segment at about 36.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Washington Street.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 20 significant decision points across 141.3 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 22.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 20 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
6
4.1 mi into trip|~7m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
22.8 mi into trip|~29m in
Take the exit toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
5
28.7 mi into trip|~38m in|County Road T37
Turn sharp left onto County Road T37
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
102.6 mi into trip|~2h 14m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Waterloo, IA to Melcher-Dallas, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Grundy Center along the way.
Grundy Center
22.8 mi in|~29m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
IA 330
36.4 mi
43m
IA 5
18.5 mi
21m
Avenue of the Saints
18.4 mi
21m
Sanford Avenue
15.9 mi
21m
Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
9.6 mi
11m
County Road S45
9.2 mi
16m
240th Street
6.3 mi
9m
Marsh Avenue
5.9 mi
8m
Longest stretch:
IA 330
— 36.4 mi, about 43m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Melcher-Dallas, 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
18 mi·21 min·Avenue of the Saints
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi·59 sec
Toward IA 14: Parkersburg, Grundy Center
10
Turn left onto IA 14
4.5 mi·6 min·N Avenue
11
Turn right onto 210th Street
1.0 mi·1 min·210th Street
12
Turn sharp left onto County Road T37
1.0 mi·1 min·County Road T37
13
Continue on M Avenue
1.5 mi·2 min·M Avenue
14
Turn right onto IA 14; IA 175
6.3 mi·9 min·240th Street
15
Turn left onto IA 14
16 mi·21 min·Sanford Avenue
16
Turn right onto IA 330
4.3 mi·5 min·160th Street
17
Keep slight left at fork onto IA 330
1.2 mi·1 min·North Main Street
18
Continue on IA 330
5.9 mi·8 min·Marsh Avenue
19
Turn right onto IA 330
36 mi·43 min·IA 330
20
Continue on US 6
1.3 mi·2 min·Hubbell Avenue
21
Turn left
0.5 mi·1 min
Use the straight / left lanes.
22
Merge onto US 65
9.6 mi·11 min·Military Order of the Purple Heart Highway
23
Take the exit
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward IA 5 South: Carlisle
24
Continue on IA 5
19 mi·21 min·IA 5
25
Continue on CR S45
3.7 mi·6 min·County Road S45
26
Keep slight left at fork onto CR S45
5.5 mi·9 min·County Road S45
27
Continue on CR S45
461 ft·14 sec·1st Street Northwest
28
Turn left onto CR S45
367 ft·9 sec·B Street Northwest
29
Turn right onto CR S45
462 ft·9 sec·Northeast Main Street
30
Arrive at destination
CR S45
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 70.6 miles from Waterloo, IA, or about 1h 35m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 36.4 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 31 miles or 41m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 70.6 miles or 1h 35m 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 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Melcher-Dallas, 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 141.3 miles and 3h 5m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 31 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 IA 330 for about 36.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 70.6 mi from Waterloo, IA
· 1h 35m into the drive
The midpoint is around 70.6 miles from Waterloo, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Melcher-Dallas, IA
The final approach into Melcher-Dallas, 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 Melcher-Dallas, IA.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Nearby Places
Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.
Top Restaurant
Cafe at the Meadows
4.2
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Altoona, Iowa
Later in the drive, right off the route
0.7 mi from route
~2 min detour
$10 to $20
mile 100.9
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$22.09 one way
$44.18 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg49 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$24.25
$48.51
premium
$4.89
$27.19
$54.38
diesel
$5.61
$31.20
$62.39
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$22
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$47–$72
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 49.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
2 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: fair
Tesla Supercharger
Waterloo, Iowa
Tesla
1 DCFC
Shell Recharge Charging Station
Waterloo, Iowa
Shell Recharge
1 DCFC
Tesla: 1
Shell Recharge: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
42.4
0
$14.84
$6.78
Efficient EV
35.3
0
$12.36
$5.65
EV Truck/SUV
56.5
0
$19.78
$9.04
Gas CO2
49 kg
EV CO2
17 kg (65% 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
Waterloo, IA
Morning
in Waterloo on Saturday
Local time
6:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Melcher-Dallas, IA
Morning
in Melcher-Dallas on Saturday
Local time
6:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
72°F
Colfax, IA
71 mi in
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
16 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
3h 5m 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 Melcher-Dallas, IA covers 141.3 miles and takes about 3h 5m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are IA 330, IA 5, Avenue of the Saints. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 70.6 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 $22.09 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. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 20 significant decision points across 141.3 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 22.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Waterloo, IA to Melcher-Dallas, IA, road signs begin pointing toward Grundy Center along the way.
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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
