Origin
Great Bend, KS
Late night in Great Bend on Saturday
Local time
12:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Great Bend, KS to Hutchinson, KS
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
59.6 mi
96 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 27m
8 PM
1h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Great Bend, KS
Wikimedia Commons
Hutchinson, KS
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Great Bend, KS to Hutchinson, KS is 59.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes via North Broadway Avenue, East Santa Fe Avenue, and 10th Street, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward drive entirely within the Great Plains region, connecting two Kansas communities. Expect a local feel for the entire journey, which is best suited for a single-day trip. Given its short distance and manageable duration, this route offers a relaxed pace for travelers.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 59.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m 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
This route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with no highway mileage contributing to the 59.6 miles. You'll navigate through community roads, primarily on North Broadway Avenue, East Santa Fe Avenue, and 10th Street. The longest stretch without a significant turn is 22.4 miles along North Broadway Avenue. The overall driving experience will involve frequent changes in direction as you move through towns and between them, rather than a consistent highway pace.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Broadway Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 22.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 281 / Main Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 15m drive. You will face about 8 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 (US 281 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 31.1 miles (KS 14; KS 96 / South Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 54.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 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
|
US 281 / Main Street
Turn left onto US 281 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
31.1 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
KS 14; KS 96 / South Grand Avenue
Turn right onto KS 14; KS 96 / South Grand Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
54.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Take the exit toward Wilson Rd, Nickerson Blvd
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Wilson Rd, Nickerson Blvd
5
59.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
East 7th Avenue
Turn right onto East 7th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
59.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Broadway Avenue | 22.4 mi | 25m |
| East Santa Fe Avenue | 20.3 mi | 23m |
| 10th Street | 10.6 mi | 13m |
| Nickerson Boulevard | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| South Grand Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| West 5th Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Broadway Avenue
— 22.4 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Great Bend, KS and Hutchinson, KS.
1
Start on Lakin Avenue
94 ft
·
9 sec
·
Lakin Avenue
2
Turn left onto US 281
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn left onto US 56; KS 96; KS 156
11 mi
·
13 min
·
10th Street
4
Continue on US 56; KS 96
20 mi
·
23 min
·
East Santa Fe Avenue
5
Turn right onto KS 14; KS 96
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Grand Avenue
6
Continue on KS 14; KS 96
22 mi
·
25 min
·
North Broadway Avenue
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
Toward Wilson Rd, Nickerson Blvd
8
Turn right onto North Wilson Road
474 ft
·
7 sec
·
North Wilson Road
9
Continue on Nickerson Boulevard
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Nickerson Boulevard
10
Continue on West 5th Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West 5th Avenue
11
Turn left onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
North Main Street
12
Turn right onto East 7th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
East 7th Avenue
13
Turn left
62 ft
·
4 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.32 one way
$18.64 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.23 | $20.46 |
| premium | $4.89 | $11.47 | $22.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.16 | $26.32 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.26 | $2.86 |
| Efficient EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.22 | $2.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.8 | 0 | $8.34 | $3.81 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Hutchinson, KS
Late night in Hutchinson on Saturday
Local time
12:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°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
3 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 15m 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 Great Bend, KS to Hutchinson, KS covers 59.6 miles and takes about 1h 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Broadway Avenue, East Santa Fe Avenue, 10th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 29.8 miles from Great Bend, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.32 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 is a straightforward 1h 15m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 281 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 31.1 miles (KS 14; KS 96 / South Grand Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 54.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Great Bend, KS to Hutchinson, 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.
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