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Trip from Hutchinson, KS to Arkansas City, KS

Drive Time

2h 14m

Distance

112 mi

180 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$17

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 28 min
4 AM
2h 5m ★
6 AM
2h 14m
8 AM
2h 33m
10 AM
2h 21m
12 PM
2h 19m
3 PM
2h 22m
5 PM
2h 32m
8 PM
2h 9m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Hutchinson, KS, KS

Hutchinson, KS

Tien Nguyen

Downtown Arkansas City, KS, KS

Arkansas City, KS

Shea B

Trip Overview

The drive from Hutchinson, KS to Arkansas City, KS covers 112 miles and takes about 2h 14m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on KS 14, Kansas Turnpike, East 160th Street South for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 38.7 miles on KS 14. At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.01 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

56 miles from Hutchinson, KS

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 6m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 2h 14m highway drive covering 112 miles, with most of the trip on KS 14 and Kansas Turnpike. The longest continuous stretch is about 38.7 miles on KS 14.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
KS 14 is the longest continuous segment at about 38.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on KS 14 and Kansas Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 7th Avenue.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 112 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 42.9 miles (I 235): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 55.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 18 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | East 7th Avenue

Turn right onto East 7th Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
42.9 mi into trip | ~51m in | I 235

Merge onto I 235

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
55.7 mi into trip | ~1h 6m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 135 South, I 35: Kansas Turnpike

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 135 South, I 35: Kansas Turnpike
5
56.2 mi into trip | ~1h 7m in | I 135; US 81

Merge onto I 135; US 81

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
94.7 mi into trip | ~1h 46m in

Take the exit toward US 166, US 81: Arkansas City, South Haven

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 4 Toward US 166, US 81: Arkansas City, South Have...

Towns Along This Route

On the drive from Hutchinson, KS to Arkansas City, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Haven along the way.

Haven

94.7 mi in | ~1h 46m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
KS 14 38.7 mi 42m
Kansas Turnpike 37.6 mi 37m
East 160th Street South 16.1 mi 24m
I 235 12.7 mi 14m
North Main Street 2.5 mi 5m
Woodie Seat Freeway 0.8 mi 1m
I 135 0.6 mi 1m
West Central Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: KS 14 — 38.7 mi, about 42m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Hutchinson, KS and Arkansas City, KS.

1

Start on this road

62 ft · 7 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto East 7th Avenue

0.1 mi · 21 sec · East 7th Avenue
3

Turn left onto North Main Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Main Street
4

Turn right onto West Avenue A

0.2 mi · 29 sec · West Avenue A
5

Turn right

0.3 mi · 49 sec
6

Continue on Woodie Seat Freeway

0.8 mi · 1 min · Woodie Seat Freeway
7

Continue on North Main Street

1.8 mi · 3 min · North Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8

Continue on KS 14; KS 96

39 mi · 42 min · KS 14; KS 96
Toward Wichita Use the straight lane.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 40 sec
Toward I 235 South
10

Merge onto I 235

13 mi · 14 min · I 235
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 135 South, I 35: Kansas Turnpike
12

Merge onto I 135; US 81

0.6 mi · 1 min · I 135; US 81
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Toward I 35 South: Oklahoma City
14

Merge onto I 35

38 mi · 37 min · Kansas Turnpike
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 38 sec
Exit 4 Toward US 166, US 81: Arkansas City, South Haven Use the slight right lane.
16

At end of road, turn left onto US 166

16 mi · 24 min · East 160th Street South
17

Turn left onto South 8th Street

0.2 mi · 37 sec · South 8th Street
18

Turn right onto West Washington Avenue

0.3 mi · 44 sec · West Washington Avenue
19

Turn left onto South 4th Street

0.2 mi · 25 sec · South 4th Street
20

Turn right onto West Central Avenue

0.3 mi · 49 sec · West Central Avenue
21

Turn right

120 ft · 8 sec
22

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 56 miles from Hutchinson, KS, or about 1h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 38.7 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 31m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 56 miles or 1h 6m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 43m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Arkansas City, KS than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Hutchinson, KS so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Hutchinson, KS

This is one driving day of about 112 miles and 2h 14m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Hutchinson, KS.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on KS 14 for about 38.7 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 56 mi from Hutchinson, KS · 1h 6m into the drive

Downtown Wichita, KS, KS

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Wichita, KS

56 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.

Popular next leg

Wichita, KS to Arkansas City, KS

62.1 mi · 1h 18m

Pacing Suggestions

Wichita, KS

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Wichita, KS

Meal break

The midpoint is around 56 miles from Hutchinson, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Arkansas City, KS

The final approach into Arkansas City, 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 Arkansas City, KS.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$17.01 one way

$34.02 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 39 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $18.75 $37.51
premium $4.80 $21.14 $42.29
diesel $5.64 $24.88 $49.77

Estimated Tolls: $1.88

Kansas Turnpike (37.6 mi) $1.88

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

$17

Tolls

$2

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$44–$69

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 39.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 33.6 0 $11.76 $5.38
Efficient EV 28 0 $9.80 $4.48
EV Truck/SUV 44.8 0 $15.68 $7.17

Gas CO2

39 kg

EV CO2

13 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.

Forecast data refreshed 1 hour ago

Origin

Hutchinson, KS

Morning in Hutchinson on Monday

Local time

7:59 AM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Mostly Clear

S 17 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warning issued April 13 at 6:10AM CDT until April 13 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Hastings NE

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 13 at 6:10AM CDT until April 14 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Hastings NE

Destination

Arkansas City, KS

Morning in Arkansas City on Monday

Local time

7:59 AM

CDT

Current temp

52°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

10 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

2h 14m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Hutchinson, KS to Arkansas City, KS covers 112 miles and takes about 2h 14m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are KS 14, Kansas Turnpike, East 160th Street South. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 56 miles from Hutchinson, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $17.01 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 demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 112 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 42.9 miles (I 235): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 55.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Hutchinson, KS to Arkansas City, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Haven along the way.

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