Where is the Nearest Toll Road to Eastern Iowa?

Iowa is one of the few states that can boast of having no toll roads. You can drive from the mighty Mississippi to the Missouri River and pay nothing more than the gas you'll need to drive.

While there have been reports in the past that Iowa could one day see tolls on I-80, those have yet to come to fruition. I think we can agree, that is just fine.

But where are the nearest toll roads to us in Eastern Iowa? How far will you have to travel? Let's explore!

Pay The Toll

First off, while our neighbors to the north, Minnesota, has the E-ZPass system, this is optional for motorists wanting a dedicated lane to skip traffic. So, you can drive through Minnesota without paying a toll. Wisconsin has no tolls, and Missouri only has tolls outside Lake of Ozarks, which is not the closest. So that leaves Illinois.

The state that is home to Chicago has, in a word, many toll roads.

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The nearest is Illinois Interstate 88. You can connect with I-88 in the Quad Cities. The interstate will get you to the Chicago area, and it cuts right across the state from west to east (if you're driving through from Iowa).

At first, there are no tolls on this stretch of road. After US 30 however, I-88 becomes the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway.

While the cost of driving on this stretch of road will vary, it would cost you about $3.60 to go through one toll. Illinois has a dedicated website to help travelers figure out the cost of a ride through the state.

Illinois is the only state, outside of the one toll road in Missouri, that Iowa borders with any toll roads. We can say what we want about our "friends" in Nebraska, but like Iowa, they are also toll-free.

You could, without driving cost, just visit one of these amazing Airbnbs in Iowa City!