Roadside Assistance in Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa, 24/7

I-380 runs out in Waterloo, at the traffic light on Mitchell Avenue. That light is half a mile north of the interchange that serves Crossroads Center, and US-218 takes the traffic on north. The exit you last passed tells us where to send help:

• Exit 72, San Marnan Drive: the Covenant Medical Center exit, where I-380 and US-218 share the road.
• US-218 exit 181A: US-63 north, signed for the Downtown Riverfront and Young Arena.
• US-218 exit 185, Broadway Street: signed for Waterloo Regional Airport.

Downtown, US-63 splits into a one-way pair on either side of the US-218 freeway. Northbound traffic uses 1st Avenue and southbound uses Mullan Avenue, with Young Arena between them at the Cedar River. US-20, Iowa 21 and Iowa 27, the Avenue of the Saints, also cross the metro.

Love's Travel Stop #702 sits at US-20 exit 227, where US-63 (Sergeant Road) crosses on the southwest side. Its store stays open 24 hours, and the lot has 45 truck parking spaces. If your car still moves, a lit lot like that beats a ramp shoulder for waiting.

If it will not move, steer as far right as you can and switch the hazards on. Stay buckled in with the doors locked, or stand well up the bank, away from the lanes, if there is room. Anyone hurt, or a car stuck in a live lane, means 911 first.

A car that will not move needs a tow. If it slid off the road but still drives, a winch-out may be all it takes. A flat with a good spare is a tire change, and a dead battery is a jump start. Keys shut inside call for lockout help, and an empty tank for fuel delivery. Small fixes on the spot, such as a loose battery cable or a fuse, are work for the mobile mechanic.

Batteries and replacement tires have no page of their own on this site. When a jump will not hold, a technician can bring a new battery and fit it where the car sits. When the spare is flat or missing too, a replacement tire can be mounted on the spot. The battery or tire your car takes sets that price, so we quote both on the call.

Waterloo plows its priority and emergency streets first. Residential streets get plowed only once 3 inches have fallen. When the city declares a snow emergency, it asks residents to get cars off the streets so the plows can work. Snow routes then stay in effect for a set period, and the 48-hour parking violation is enforced. A car that will not start on a snow route is best moved before the plows arrive. Our towing page explains the city's snow tows and who to call about one.

A few details make the call short. On a highway, look for the last exit sign or the nearest mile-marker post. Note which way you were driving, because on a divided road help has to reach your side. In town, a cross street or a landmark such as Crossroads Center or Young Arena does the same job. Tell us whether the car is on the shoulder, in a parking lot or still in a lane.

1. Call (319) 271-6565 and say where the car is: the town, the road and the nearest exit, mile marker or cross street.
2. Tell us what happened and what you drive, and whether it has all-wheel drive.
3. We give you the price and the timing, and nobody heads your way until you say yes.
4. Once you agree, we send a tow truck or roadside technician to the spot you described.

We cover all of Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Fayette, Grundy, Butler and Chickasaw counties. Waterloo is the Black Hawk County seat, with ZIP codes 50701 to 50707. The Census Bureau's 2024 estimate puts it at about 67,477 people.

Nine more towns have a page of their own, with their exits, local rules and prices: Cedar Falls, Waverly, Independence, Oelwein, Evansdale, Hudson, New Hampton, Grundy Center and Jesup.

The Cedar Valley's exits on I-380, US-20 and US-218 are on the roads page. Every from-price, and what raises it, is on the prices page.