The drive from Hill City, KS to Shawnee, KS covers 318.4 miles and takes about 5h 41m 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, Kansas Turnpike for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 147.6 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $49.78 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
159.2 miles from Hill City, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 52m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 41m. Total distance: 318.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 5h 41m drive with frequent turns across 318.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 22 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 147.6 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 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 24 / West Main Street.
Driving Effort6/10
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 318.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 (US 24 / West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 25 miles (US 40 Business): Navigation decision point; at 262.4 miles (I 70 / Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 24 / West Main Street
Turn right onto US 24 / West Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
25 mi into trip|~37m in|US 40 Business
Take the ramp onto US 40 Business
Navigation decision point
6
262.4 mi into trip|~4h 37m 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
5
311.8 mi into trip|~5h 27m in
Take the exit toward College Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 415
Toward College Parkway
8
312.1 mi into trip|~5h 28m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Turner Diagonal
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Turner Diagonal
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 Hill City, KS to Shawnee, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Kansas City along the way.
Kansas City
262.4 mi in|~4h 37m|via I 70
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
147.6 mi
2h 27m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
90.3 mi
1h 32m
Kansas Turnpike
48.7 mi
49m
South 4th Avenue
24.7 mi
36m
South 59th Street
2.8 mi
5m
Turner Diagonal
1.2 mi
1m
KS 32
1 mi
1m
Inland Drive
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 147.6 mi, about 2h 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hill City, KS and Shawnee, KS.
The midpoint is around 159.2 miles from Hill City, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 147.6 miles.
Arriving in Shawnee, KS
The final approach into Shawnee, KS usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Shawnee, KS.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
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,...
4 mi from route
~10 min detour
Free
near mile 263.5
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
95.5
1
$33.43
$15.28
Efficient EV
79.6
0
$27.86
$12.74
EV Truck/SUV
127.4
1
$44.58
$20.38
Gas CO2
111 kg
EV CO2
37 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 18, 2026
Origin
Hill City, KS
Late night
in Hill City on Saturday
Local time
2:08 AM
CDT
Current temp
28°F
Partly Cloudy then Widespread Frost
NW 5 to 20 mph7% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 8:57PM CDT until April 17 at 9:45PM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued April 17 at 8:46PM CDT until April 18 at 2:00AM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
Destination
Shawnee, KS
Late night
in Shawnee on Saturday
Local time
2:08 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
46 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
5h 41m 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 Hill City, KS to Shawnee, KS covers 318.4 miles and takes about 5h 41m 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, Kansas Turnpike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 159.2 miles from Hill City, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $49.78 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 318.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 (US 24 / West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 25 miles (US 40 Business): Navigation decision point; at 262.4 miles (I 70 / Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Hill City, KS to Shawnee, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Kansas City along the way.
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.
