Origin
Emporia, KS
Afternoon in Emporia on Friday
Local time
2:29 PM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Emporia, KS to Reading, KS
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
17.8 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Emporia, KS
Wikimedia Commons
Reading, KS
SHVETS production
Trip Overview
The drive from Emporia, KS to Reading, KS covers 17.8 miles and takes about 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Burlingame Road, Road 250, East 12th Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.8 miles on Burlingame Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.78 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 17.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 32m drive with frequent turns across 17.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Burlingame Road is the longest continuous segment at about 7.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Merchant Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 17.8 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Merchant Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 50 / East 6th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (KS 99 / Commercial Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Merchant Street
Turn left onto Merchant Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 50 / East 6th Avenue
Turn right onto US 50 / East 6th Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
KS 99 / Commercial Street
Turn left onto KS 99 / Commercial Street
Navigation decision point
5
17.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
1st Street
Turn right onto 1st Street
Navigation decision point
5
17.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Burlingame Road | 7.8 mi | 13m |
| Road 250 | 7.6 mi | 13m |
| East 12th Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Road R | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Commercial Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Franklin Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Merchant Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East 6th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Burlingame Road
— 7.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Emporia, KS and Reading, KS.
1
Start on West 5th Avenue
59 ft
·
8 sec
·
West 5th Avenue
2
Turn left onto Merchant Street
440 ft
·
16 sec
·
Merchant Street
3
Turn right onto US 50
368 ft
·
13 sec
·
East 6th Avenue
4
Turn left onto KS 99
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Commercial Street
5
Turn right onto East 12th Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East 12th Avenue
6
Turn left onto Burlingame Road
7.8 mi
·
13 min
·
Burlingame Road
7
Keep slight left at fork onto KS 99
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Road R
8
Turn right onto KS 170
7.6 mi
·
13 min
·
Road 250
9
Turn right onto Franklin Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Franklin Street
10
Turn right onto 1st Street
197 ft
·
13 sec
·
1st Street
11
Turn left
92 ft
·
6 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.78 one way
$5.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.06 | $6.11 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.43 | $6.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.93 | $7.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Reading, KS
Afternoon in Reading on Friday
Local time
2:29 PM
CDT
Current temp
80°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
32m 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 Emporia, KS to Reading, KS covers 17.8 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Burlingame Road, Road 250, East 12th Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.9 miles from Emporia, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.78 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.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 17.8 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Merchant Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 50 / East 6th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (KS 99 / Commercial Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Emporia, KS to Reading, KS 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More from Emporia, KS
Explore more options from Emporia, KS or browse trips ending in Reading, KS.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse KS road trips.