Origin
Waterloo, IA
Morning in Waterloo on Saturday
Local time
7:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterloo, IA to Tripoli, IA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
26.3 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterloo, IA
Wikimedia Commons
Tripoli, IA
Agung Pandit Wiguna
Trip Overview
The drive from Waterloo, IA to Tripoli, IA covers 26.3 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Commercial Street, West 1st Street, East Mullan Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.11 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 26.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 36m drive with frequent turns across 26.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Commercial Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 Tripoli, IA is easy. At 36m 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 Tripoli, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Street | — | — |
| West 1st Street | — | — |
| East Mullan Avenue | — | — |
| Logan Avenue | — | — |
| Larrabee Avenue | — | — |
| 170th Street | — | — |
| 7th Avenue Southwest | — | — |
| South Main Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Commercial Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterloo, IA and Tripoli, IA.
1
Start on West 4th Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
West 4th Street
2
Turn left onto Commercial Street
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Commercial Street
3
Turn right onto West 1st Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West 1st Street
4
Continue on East Mullan Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Mullan Avenue
5
Continue on Logan Avenue
8.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Logan Avenue
6
Continue on Larrabee Avenue
11 mi
·
13 min
·
Larrabee Avenue
7
Turn right onto 170th Street
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
170th Street
8
Continue on 7th Avenue Southwest
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
7th Avenue Southwest
9
Turn left onto South Main Street
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
South Main Street
10
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.11 one way
$8.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.51 | $9.03 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.06 | $10.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.81 | $11.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Tripoli, IA
Morning in Tripoli on Saturday
Local time
7:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
70°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
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
36m 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 Tripoli, IA covers 26.3 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Commercial Street, West 1st Street, East Mullan Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.1 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 $4.11 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.
The drive from Waterloo, IA to Tripoli, IA is easy. At 36m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Waterloo, IA to Tripoli, IA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Waterloo, IA to Tripoli, 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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