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Trip from Frankfort, KY to Burlington, KY

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

Drive Time

1h 26m

Distance

72.3 mi

116 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 20m ★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 40m
10 AM
1h 31m
12 PM
1h 30m
3 PM
1h 32m
5 PM
1h 39m
8 PM
1h 22m

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

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

Frankfort, KY

Wikimedia Commons

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

Burlington, KY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Frankfort, KY to Burlington, KY covers 72.3 miles and takes about 1h 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Mero Street, Wilkinson Boulevard, Holmes Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.30 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 72.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 26m 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 26m drive with frequent turns across 72.3 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Mero 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 Frankfort, KY to Burlington, KY is easy. At 1h 26m 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 Frankfort, KY to Burlington, KY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Mero Street
Wilkinson Boulevard
Holmes Street
Owenton Road
South Main Street
Roland Avenue
Warsaw Road
Glencoe Road

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Mero Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Frankfort, KY and Burlington, KY.

1

Start on Elk Alley

26 ft · 7 sec · Elk Alley
2

Turn left onto Mero Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · Mero Street
3

Turn right onto Wilkinson Boulevard

1.7 mi · 1 min · Wilkinson Boulevard
4

Take the exit slight right

0.1 mi · 26 sec
5

Turn left onto Holmes Street

354 ft · 5 sec · Holmes Street
6

Continue on Owenton Road

24 mi · 27 min · Owenton Road
7

At the end of the road, turn left onto South Main Street

1.2 mi · 1 min · South Main Street
8

Continue on Roland Avenue

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Roland Avenue
9

Continue on Warsaw Road

7.7 mi · 9 min · Warsaw Road
10

Turn right onto Glencoe Road

8.1 mi · 9 min · Glencoe Road
11

Take the exit right

0.3 mi · 43 sec
12

Merge slight left

14 mi · 15 min
13

Keep slight left to continue on I 75 North, I 71 North: Cincinnati

8.9 mi · 9 min · I 75 North, I 71 North: Cincinnati
14

Take the exit slight right toward KY 18: Florence, Burlington

0.2 mi · 37 sec · KY 18: Florence, Burlington
15

Turn left onto Burlington Pike

3.1 mi · 5 min · Burlington Pike
16

Continue on Burlington Pike

1.4 mi · 2 min · Burlington Pike
17

Continue on Washington Street

0.2 mi · 29 sec · Washington Street
18

Turn left onto Jefferson Street

69 ft · 1 sec · Jefferson Street
19

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 36.1 mi from Frankfort, KY · 43m 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

Owenton, 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 36.1 miles from Frankfort, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Burlington, KY

The final approach into Burlington, 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

$11.30 one way

$22.61 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 25 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $12.41 $24.82
premium $4.89 $13.91 $27.83
diesel $5.61 $15.96 $31.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 25.3 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 21.7 0 $7.59 $3.47
Efficient EV 18.1 0 $6.33 $2.89
EV Truck/SUV 28.9 0 $10.12 $4.63

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

Frankfort, KY

Morning in Frankfort on Saturday

Local time

7:35 AM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Burlington, KY

Morning in Burlington on Saturday

Local time

7:35 AM

EDT

Current temp

53°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 warmer at arrival

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

Road read

1h 26m 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 Frankfort, KY to Burlington, KY covers 72.3 miles and takes about 1h 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Mero Street, Wilkinson Boulevard, Holmes Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 36.1 miles from Frankfort, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.30 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 Frankfort, KY to Burlington, KY is easy. At 1h 26m 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 Frankfort, KY to Burlington, KY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Frankfort, KY to Burlington, 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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