Waterloo (Iowa)

Waterloo is a city in Northeast Iowa.

Understand

Get in

By car

Waterloo is at the north end of Interstate 380. From the east or west U.S. Route 20 goes through the southern end of Waterloo. U.S. Routes 63 and 218 are the fastest routes from the north.

By plane

• 🌍 Waterloo Regional Airport (ALO  ^IATA also known as Livingston Betsworth Field) (located 4 mi (6.4 km) northwest of the central business district). American Eagle provides non-stop air service to and from Chicago from the airport.  

By bus

There is one bus arrival and departure to Chicago and Des Moines every day, provided by Burlington Trailways. There is a service to and from Mason City and Minneapolis-St. Paul provided by Jefferson Lines.

Get around

See

• 🌍 Grout Museum.  
• Snowden House. 
• Waterloo Center for the Arts. large collection of Haitian art (updated Dec 2018)

Do

• 🌍 Lost Island Waterpark.  - located in Waterloo
• 🌍 Hansen’s Dairy Farm, 8461 Lincoln Rd., Hudson, IA 50643 (Take US Highway 63 about 8 miles southwest of central Waterloo), ☎ [phone]. 9AM–1PM for regular tours; extended tours start at 3:30PM. This Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Site shows kids how milk gets from the cow to their grocery store. All tours end with ice cream made onsite by the farm's creamery. The hands-on extended tour offers the opportunity to milk a cow, pet goats and kangaroos, make butter, and try out other farm activities. Reservations required. Payment by cash or check only. $8 per person; $12 for extended tour. (updated May 2018)
• 🌍 John Deere's Tractor Cab Assembly Operations tour, 3500 E Donald St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 8AM, 10AM, 1PM. Tours are offered at five John Deere factories in Iowa, and this one features the big tractors. Reservations for this popular 90-minute tour must be made at least 48 hours in advance, and it's worth booking your tour as soon as you know that you'll be in the Waterloo area. Teenagers and adults only. Closed-toed shoes are required. Free. (updated May 2018)

Buy

Eat

• Newton's Paradise Cafe (Newton's), 128 East 4th Street (Look for the old-school neon spinning column-sign at the first intersection on east fourth after going east over the river. For further instruction, go to the location section of their website..), ☎ [phone]. 6AM-9PM Mon-Sat, 8AM-4PM Sun. Newton's is a restaurant that has been with Waterloo for many years. They are especially well known for their tenderloins -- if you aren't from the mid-west and haven't yet had one, this is a good place to try them -- and other mid-west centric foods. (updated Dec 2017)
• 🌍 Rudy's Tacos, 2401 Falls Avenue, ☎ [phone]. Mon-Sat 11AM-9PM. Serves standard Mexican food, especially tacos. Also has ice cream. Go inside the Falls Mall and walk to the end of the hallway. Drinks are also available from the Lava Lounge, in the same building. $7-$17. (updated May 2018)

Drink

• 🌍 Lava Lounge, 2401 Falls Avenue, ☎ [phone]. Mon-Sat 11-11. In the same building as Rudy's Tacos; as you're walking down the hallway from the entrance you'll see it on the left. Nice little low-key bar featuring some craft beers. You can play the music on the jukebox for free. (updated May 2018)

Sleep

Connect

Go next

Routes through Waterloo

END ←	N  S	→ Cedar Rapids → Iowa City
Fort Dodge ← Cedar Falls ←	W  E	→ Independence → Dubuque
Rochester ← Jct E ←	N  S	→ Jct W E → Jct W → Ottumwa
Austin ← Cedar Falls ←	N  S	→ Cedar Rapids → Iowa City