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Trip from Burlington, KY to Frankfort, KY

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 24m

Distance

71.7 mi

115 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 18m ★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 21m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

census-designated place in Boone County, Kentucky, United States

Burlington, KY

Wikimedia Commons

county seat city in Franklin County, Kentucky, USA and Kentucky federated state capital city

Frankfort, KY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Burlington, KY to Frankfort, KY covers 71.7 miles and takes about 1h 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Washington Street, Burlington Pike, I 71 South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.21 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 71.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 24m 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 1h 24m drive with frequent turns across 71.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Washington 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 Burlington, KY to Frankfort, KY is easy. At 1h 24m 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 Burlington, KY to Frankfort, KY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Washington Street
Burlington Pike
I 71 South
US 127
Warsaw Road
Roland Avenue
North Main Street
Frankfort Highway

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 Burlington, KY and Frankfort, KY.

1

Start on Jefferson Street

69 ft · 5 sec · Jefferson Street
2

Turn right onto Washington Street

0.2 mi · 22 sec · Washington Street
3

Continue on Burlington Pike

4.4 mi · 7 min · Burlington Pike
4

Take the ramp right toward I 71 South, I 75 South: Lexington, Louisville

1.6 mi · 3 min · I 71 South, I 75 South: Lexington, Louisville
5

Merge slight left

6.9 mi · 7 min
6

Take the exit slight right toward I 71 South: Louisville

15 mi · 16 min · I 71 South: Louisville
7

Take the exit slight right toward US 127: Owenton, Glencoe

0.3 mi · 41 sec · US 127: Owenton, Glencoe
8

Turn left

8.2 mi · 9 min
9

At the end of the road, turn left onto Warsaw Road

7.7 mi · 9 min · Warsaw Road
10

Continue on Roland Avenue

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Roland Avenue
11

Turn slight left onto North Main Street

1.2 mi · 1 min · North Main Street
12

Turn right onto Frankfort Highway

24 mi · 27 min · Frankfort Highway
13

Continue straight

1.7 mi · 2 min
14

Continue on Mero Street

436 ft · 17 sec · Mero Street
15

Turn left onto Ann Street

469 ft · 15 sec · Ann Street
16

Turn left onto West Clinton Street

243 ft · 10 sec · West Clinton Street
17

Turn left onto Elk Alley

443 ft · 19 sec · Elk Alley
18

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 35.9 mi from Burlington, KY · 42m into the drive

Downtown Owenton, KY, KY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Owenton, KY

36 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

Warsaw, KY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Owenton, KY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 35.9 miles from Burlington, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Frankfort, KY

The final approach into Frankfort, KY usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.21 one way

$22.42 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 25 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $12.31 $24.62
premium $4.89 $13.80 $27.60
diesel $5.61 $15.83 $31.66

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 25.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 21.5 0 $7.53 $3.44
Efficient EV 17.9 0 $6.27 $2.87
EV Truck/SUV 28.7 0 $10.04 $4.59

Gas CO2

25 kg

EV CO2

8 kg (68% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Burlington, KY

Late night in Burlington on Saturday

Local time

1:27 AM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Frankfort, KY

Late night in Frankfort on Saturday

Local time

1:27 AM

EDT

Current temp

52°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

1 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 24m 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 Burlington, KY to Frankfort, KY covers 71.7 miles and takes about 1h 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Washington Street, Burlington Pike, I 71 South. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 35.9 miles from Burlington, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.21 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 Burlington, KY to Frankfort, KY is easy. At 1h 24m 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 Burlington, KY to Frankfort, KY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Burlington, KY to Frankfort, KY 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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