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Trip from Dodge City, KS to Clay Center, KS

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

Drive Time

4h 24m

Distance

225.6 mi

363 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$35

one way

EV Charging

Good

6 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
4h 11m ★
6 AM
4h 25m
8 AM
4h 51m
10 AM
4h 34m
12 PM
4h 31m
3 PM
4h 35m
5 PM
4h 50m
8 PM
4h 17m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in and county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States

Dodge City, KS

Wikimedia Commons

city in Kansas, United States

Clay Center, KS

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Dodge City, KS to Clay Center, KS covers 225.6 miles and takes about 4h 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on KS 156, I 135, US 50 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 47.9 miles on KS 156. At current regular gas prices, budget about $35.27 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

112.8 miles from Dodge City, KS

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 19m into the drive .

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
KS 156 47.9 mi 55m
I 135 34 mi 35m
US 50 31.3 mi 36m
US 56 28.1 mi 33m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 25.3 mi 25m
East 14th Street 19.3 mi 23m
Deer Road 16 mi 18m
18th Road 11.8 mi 13m
Longest stretch: KS 156 — 47.9 mi, about 55m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Dodge City, KS and Clay Center, KS.

1

Start on Central Avenue

33 ft · 0 sec · Central Avenue
2

Turn left onto East Wyatt Earp Boulevard

2.1 mi · 3 min · East Wyatt Earp Boulevard
Use the left lane.
3

Continue on US 56; US 283

3.1 mi · 3 min · US 56; US 283
4

Turn right onto US 50; US 56; US 283

31 mi · 36 min · US 50; US 56; US 283
5

Turn left onto US 183

0.5 mi · 45 sec · Niles Avenue
6

Turn right onto US 56; US 183

25 mi · 30 min · US 56; US 183
7

Turn right onto US 56; KS 156

19 mi · 23 min · East 14th Street
8

Turn right onto Railroad Avenue

2.1 mi · 5 min · Railroad Avenue
9

At end of road, turn right onto Washington Street

150 ft · 4 sec · Washington Street
10

Keep slight left at fork onto Railroad Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Railroad Avenue
11

Turn left onto US 281

0.4 mi · 40 sec · Main Street
12

Turn right onto US 56; KS 96; KS 156

3.8 mi · 5 min · 10th Street
13

Turn left onto KS 156

48 mi · 55 min · KS 156
14

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Toward I-70 East, Salina
15

Merge onto I 70; US 40

25 mi · 25 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
16

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 39 sec
Toward US 81 North: Concordia
17

Merge onto I 135; US 81

34 mi · 35 min · I 135; US 81
18

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
19

Turn right onto US 24

16 mi · 18 min · Deer Road
20

Continue on US 24

12 mi · 13 min · 18th Road
21

Continue on US 24

1.3 mi · 2 min · West Crawford Street
22

Turn right onto KS 15

0.2 mi · 27 sec · 6th Street
23

Arrive at destination

KS 15

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 112.8 miles from Dodge City, KS, or about 2h 19m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 47.9 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 50 miles or 59m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 112.8 miles or 2h 19m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 36m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Clay Center, KS than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Dodge City, KS so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Dodge City, KS

This is one driving day of about 225.6 miles and 4h 24m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 50 miles from Dodge City, KS.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on KS 156 for about 47.9 miles.

Where to Stop

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

city in Kansas

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lincoln, KS

113 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

Great Bend, KS

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 50 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lincoln, KS

Meal break

The midpoint is around 112.8 miles from Dodge City, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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

Nearby Places

Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.

Top Restaurant

Windmill Restaurant

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Spearville, Kansas

Near the start, right off the route

0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour $10 to $20 mile 16.1

Hours: 11 am–3 pm

+16203852523

Visit website

Turbine Bar & Grill

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Spearville, Kansas

0.6 mi

Prime On The Nine

4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Dodge City, Kansas

2.1 mi

Windmill Restaurant

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.7 mi from route ~2 min detour $10 to $20 mile 16.1

Spearville, Kansas

Hours: 11 am–3 pm

+16203852523

Visit website

Turbine Bar & Grill

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.6 mi from route ~2 min detour $10 to $20 mile 16.1

Spearville, Kansas

Hours: 11 am–11:30 pm

+16203852082

Prime On The Nine

4.4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the start, short detour

2.1 mi from route ~5 min detour Moderately

Dodge City, Kansas

Hours: 11 am–2 pm

+16202272736

Visit website

El Dos De Oros

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Early in the drive, short detour

2.6 mi from route ~6 min detour $10 to $20 mile 64.4

Larned, Kansas

Hours: 11 am–9:30 pm

+16202856238

Visit website

Mi Tierra Mexican restaurant-Larned Ks

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Early in the drive, short detour

2.4 mi from route ~6 min detour $10 to $20 mile 64.4

Larned, Kansas

Hours: 11 am–9 pm

+16209105023

Edwards street brew & bites

4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Early in the drive, short detour

2.6 mi from route ~7 min detour $10 to $20 mile 64.4

Larned, Kansas

Hours: 11 am–9 pm

+16209107773

Visit website

Tom’s Kountry Kitchen

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, ~11 min detour

4.5 mi from route ~11 min detour $10 to $20 mile 32.2

Kinsley, Kansas

Hours: 7 am–2 pm

+16206593299

Visit website

EVgo Charging Station

4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Later in the drive, short detour

3.2 mi from route ~8 min detour mile 161.1

Salina, Kansas

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18774943833

Visit website

Electrify America Charging Station

4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Later in the drive, ~9 min detour

3.6 mi from route ~9 min detour mile 161.1

Salina, Kansas

Hours: Open 24 hours

+18336322778

Visit website

Rest Area

0 mi from route

Eagles Landing Travel Plaza

0.1 mi from route

Service Plaza

0.1 mi from route

Love's Travel Stop

0.5 mi from route

Rest Area

0.6 mi from route

Rest Area

1.1 mi from route

Petro Stopping Centers

1.7 mi from route

Pilot Travel Center

1.8 mi from route

Service Plaza

1.8 mi from route

Long Branch Lagoon

4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Dodge City, Kansas

Hours: Closed

+16202258156

Visit website

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 136.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | East Wyatt Earp Boulevard

Turn left onto East Wyatt Earp Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
62 mi into trip | ~1h 14m in | US 56; KS 156 / East 14th Street

Turn right onto US 56; KS 156 / East 14th Street

Navigation decision point

5
83.4 mi into trip | ~1h 42m in | Washington Street

At end of road, turn right onto Washington Street

Navigation decision point

4
83.5 mi into trip | ~1h 42m in | Railroad Avenue

Keep slight left at fork onto Railroad Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
136.1 mi into trip | ~2h 46m in

Take the ramp toward I-70 East, Salina

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I-70 East, Salina

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$35.27 one way

$70.54 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 79 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $38.73 $77.45
premium $4.89 $43.41 $86.83
diesel $5.61 $49.81 $99.62

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$35

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$60–$85

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 78.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

EV Charging Along Route

6 DC fast chargers · Coverage: good

Holiday Inn Express - Tesla Supercharger

Salina, KS

Tesla

6 DCFC

Casey's Salina (Salina, KS)

Salina, KS

Electrify America

4 DCFC

Flying J 659

Salina, KS

eVgo Network

4 DCFC

Lewis Chevrolet of Dodge City - DCFC

Dodge City, KS

Blink Network

2 DCFC

GLAVAN FORD POWER LINK 2

Clay Center, KS

ChargePoint Network

2 DCFC

GLAVAN FORD POWER LINK 1

Clay Center, KS

ChargePoint Network

2 DCFC

ChargePoint Network: 2 Blink Network: 1 Electrify America: 1 Tesla: 1 eVgo Network: 1

Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.

Driving Electric?

About $24 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 67.7 0 $23.69 $10.83
Efficient EV 56.4 0 $19.74 $9.02
EV Truck/SUV 90.2 1 $31.58 $14.44

Gas CO2

79 kg

EV CO2

26 kg (67% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

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

Dodge City, KS

Afternoon in Dodge City on Saturday

Local time

3:35 PM

CDT

Current temp

86°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Clay Center, KS

Afternoon in Clay Center on Saturday

Local time

3:35 PM

CDT

Current temp

54°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

82°F

Lincoln, KS

113 mi in

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

32 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

4h 24m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

225.6 mi in 4h 24m, mostly highway — 47.9 mi of that is on KS 156.

63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 47.9 mi on KS 156.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on KS 156 and I 135. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Wyatt Earp Boulevard.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 4h 24m drive. You will face about 17 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Wyatt Earp Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 62 miles (US 56; KS 156 / East 14th Street): Navigation decision point; at 83.4 miles (Washington Street): Navigation decision point.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Dodge City, KS to Clay Center, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Salina along the way.

Salina

136.1 mi in | ~2h 46m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 24m. Total distance: 225.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

4h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (63%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 47.9 miles on KS 156. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.

Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Wyatt Earp Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 62 miles (US 56; KS 156 / East 14th Street): Navigation decision point; at 83.4 miles (Washington Street): Navigation decision point.

Possible but tiring. At 4.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.8 hours — manageable with a long break at Clay Center, KS, but most travelers stay overnight.

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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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