The drive from Hays, KS to De Soto, KS covers 249.6 miles and takes about 4h 21m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway, South Lawrence Trafficway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 116.5 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $39.02 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
124.8 miles from Hays, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 7m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 21m. Total distance: 249.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 4h 21m drive with frequent turns across 249.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 116.5 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 around 0.1 miles in near Main Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 21m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (West 27th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (US 183 / North Vine Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Main Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|West 27th Street
Turn right onto West 27th Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.6 mi into trip|~3m in|US 183 / North Vine Street
Enter roundabout onto US 183 / North Vine Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
207.9 mi into trip|~3h 32m in|I 70 / Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70 / Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway toward I-70 East, Kansas City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-70 East, Kansas City
6
222.6 mi into trip|~3h 47m in
Take the exit toward KS 10: Lecompton, Lawrence
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 197
Toward KS 10: Lecompton, Lawrence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Hays, KS and De Soto, KS, road signs point toward Kansas City and Lawrence.
Kansas City
207.9 mi in|~3h 32m|via I 70
Lawrence
222.6 mi in|~3h 47m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
116.5 mi
1h 56m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
90.3 mi
1h 32m
South Lawrence Trafficway
24.1 mi
26m
Kansas Turnpike
14 mi
14m
Lexington Avenue
1.4 mi
2m
North Vine Street
0.8 mi
1m
Main Street
0.5 mi
1m
Ottawa Street
0.4 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 116.5 mi, about 1h 56m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hays, KS and De Soto, KS.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park
National Historical Park
The path to equality has been anything but smooth. It's taken courage and dedication by everyday people coming together for a common goal to carry the country toward true equality. Parents, teachers,...
2 mi from route
~5 min detour
Free
near mile 206.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$39.02 one way
$78.04 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg87 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$42.84
$85.69
premium
$4.89
$48.03
$96.07
diesel
$5.61
$55.11
$110.22
Estimated Tolls: $0.70
Kansas Turnpike
(14 mi)$0.70
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$39
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$65–$90
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 87.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
3 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: fair
Electrify America Charging Station
Hays, Kansas
Electrify America
1 DCFC
Rivian Adventure Network
Hays, Kansas
Rivian
1 DCFC
InCharge Energy Charging Station
Hays, Kansas
InCharge
1 DCFC
Electrify America: 1
Rivian: 1
InCharge: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $26 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
74.9
0
$26.21
$11.98
Efficient EV
62.4
0
$21.84
$9.98
EV Truck/SUV
99.8
1
$34.94
$15.97
Gas CO2
87 kg
EV CO2
29 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
Hays, KS
Morning
in Hays on Saturday
Local time
10:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
De Soto, KS
Morning
in De Soto on Saturday
Local time
10:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
80°F
Manhattan, KS
125 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
30 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 21m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Hays, KS to De Soto, KS covers 249.6 miles and takes about 4h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway, South Lawrence Trafficway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 124.8 miles from Hays, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $39.02 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 21m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (West 27th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (US 183 / North Vine Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Between Hays, KS and De Soto, KS, road signs point toward Kansas City and Lawrence.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park.
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.
