Origin
Waterloo, IA
Afternoon in Waterloo on Saturday
Local time
3:13 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterloo, IA to Ottumwa, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 49m
Distance
115.5 mi
186 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$18
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 38m
★
6 AM
2h 49m
8 AM
3h 11m
10 AM
2h 57m
12 PM
2h 55m
3 PM
2h 58m
5 PM
3h 10m
8 PM
2h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterloo, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Ottumwa, IA
Quang Nguyen Vinh
Trip Overview
The drive from Waterloo, IA to Ottumwa, IA covers 115.5 miles and takes about 2h 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Washington Street, West 11th Street, East Ridgeway Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $18.06 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
57.8 miles from Waterloo, IA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 24m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Street | — | — |
| West 11th Street | — | — |
| East Ridgeway Avenue | — | — |
| Hammond Avenue | — | — |
| East San Marnan Drive | — | — |
| Hawkeye Road | — | — |
| Highway 21 | — | — |
| 58th Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Washington Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Ottumwa, IA.
1
Start on West 4th Street
75 ft
·
6 sec
·
West 4th Street
2
Turn right onto Washington Street
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Washington Street
3
Turn right onto West 11th Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
West 11th Street
4
At the end of the road, turn right onto East Ridgeway Avenue
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
East Ridgeway Avenue
5
Turn sharp left onto Hammond Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Hammond Avenue
6
Turn right onto East San Marnan Drive
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
East San Marnan Drive
7
Turn left onto Hawkeye Road
11 mi
·
16 min
·
Hawkeye Road
8
Continue on State Highway 21
8.0 mi
·
12 min
·
State Highway 21
9
At the end of the road, turn left onto 58th Street
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
58th Street
10
Turn right onto Holsted Street
20 mi
·
29 min
·
Holsted Street
11
Turn right onto 7th Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
7th Avenue
12
Continue on 11th Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
11th Avenue
13
Continue on State Highway 21
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
State Highway 21
14
Keep slight right to continue on State Highway 21
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
State Highway 21
15
Continue on B Avenue
5.8 mi
·
8 min
·
B Avenue
16
Turn right
4.2 mi
·
5 min
17
Turn left onto 220th Street
11 mi
·
15 min
·
220th Street
18
Continue on State Highway 21
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
State Highway 21
19
Continue on 220th Street
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
220th Street
20
Continue on State Highway 21
7.0 mi
·
10 min
·
State Highway 21
21
Continue on North Barnes Street
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Barnes Street
22
Continue on State Highway 21
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
State Highway 21
23
Continue on North Center Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Center Street
24
Continue on Highway 21
10 mi
·
13 min
·
Highway 21
25
Turn right onto State Highway 149
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
State Highway 149
26
At the end of the road, turn left onto State Highway 149
6.0 mi
·
8 min
·
State Highway 149
27
Continue on Old US Highway 63
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Old US Highway 63
28
Continue on South Wapello Street
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South Wapello Street
29
Turn left onto West Fourth Street
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
West Fourth Street
30
Arrive at your destination
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 57.8 miles from Waterloo, IA, or about 1h 24m into the drive.
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 25 miles or 36m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 57.8 miles or 1h 24m 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 18m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ottumwa, 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 115.5 miles and 2h 49m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 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.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
58 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 25 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 57.8 miles from Waterloo, IA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$18.06 one way
$36.11 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
40 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $19.83 | $39.65 |
| premium | $4.89 | $22.23 | $44.45 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $25.50 | $51.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 40.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 34.7 | 0 | $12.13 | $5.54 |
| Efficient EV | 28.9 | 0 | $10.11 | $4.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 46.2 | 0 | $16.17 | $7.39 |
Gas CO2
40 kg
EV CO2
14 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.
Destination
Ottumwa, IA
Afternoon in Ottumwa on Saturday
Local time
3:13 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
50°F
Brooklyn, IA
58 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
2 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 49m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
115.5 mi in 2h 49m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: Washington Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Waterloo, IA to Ottumwa, IA is easy. At 2h 49m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Waterloo, IA to Ottumwa, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Arriving in Ottumwa, IA
Full guide →Ottumwa is a city in South Central Iowa.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 49m. Total distance: 115.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Waterloo, IA to Ottumwa, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ottumwa, IA before heading back.
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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