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Trip from Independence, KY to Villa Hills, KY

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

Drive Time

21m

Distance

11.5 mi

18 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 19m ★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m

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

city in Kentucky, United States

Independence, KY

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Villa Hills, KY, KY

Villa Hills, KY

Ahmet ÇÖTÜR

Trip Overview

This straightforward 11.5-mile journey from Independence to Villa Hills, KY, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 21 minutes. It's ideal as a single-day excursion, especially given its short distance and modest estimated fuel cost of around $2. The route predominantly uses state highways and local roads, offering a mixed driving experience. Since both the origin and destination are within the Southeast region of Kentucky, you won't be crossing any major geographic or regional boundaries. Plan for a simple drive with no overnight stays required.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 11.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

21m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (50%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

Expect a mixed drive on this route, with approximately 50% of the travel occurring on highway segments. Your longest continuous stretch without a turn will be about 5.4 miles along KY 17. The drive progresses through a combination of main roads, including KY 17, Buttermilk Pike, and Orphanage Road, suggesting a blend of faster-paced sections and more residential or local thoroughfares. This isn't a monotonous drive; it offers some variety as you navigate between these different road types.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
KY 17 is the longest continuous segment at about 5.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near KY 17.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 21m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (KY 17): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (KY 371 / Orphanage Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles (US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371 / Dixie Highway): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 6 key points

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

4
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in | KY 17

Turn left onto KY 17

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
6.8 mi into trip | ~11m in | KY 371 / Orphanage Road

Turn left onto KY 371 / Orphanage Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
8.6 mi into trip | ~14m in | US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371 / Dixie Highway

Turn left onto US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371 / Dixie Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
6
8.7 mi into trip | ~15m in | KY 371 / Buttermilk Pike

Turn right onto KY 371 / Buttermilk Pike

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
11.4 mi into trip | ~21m in | Amsterdam Road

At end of road, turn right onto Amsterdam Road

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
KY 17 5.4 mi 8m
Buttermilk Pike 2.1 mi 4m
Orphanage Road 1.8 mi 3m
Madison Pike 1.1 mi 2m
Collins Road 0.6 mi 1m
KY 17 Business 0.3 mi <1m
Dixie Highway <0.1 mi <1m
Amsterdam Road <0.1 mi

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: KY 17 — 5.4 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Independence, KY and Villa Hills, KY.

1

Start on KY 17 Business; KY 2045

1.1 mi · 2 min · Madison Pike
2

Continue on KY 17 Business

0.3 mi · 32 sec · KY 17 Business
3

Turn left onto KY 17

5.4 mi · 8 min · KY 17
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4

Turn left onto KY 371

1.8 mi · 3 min · Orphanage Road
Use the left lane.
5

Turn left onto US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371

479 ft · 16 sec · Dixie Highway
Use the straight / left lanes.
6

Turn right onto KY 371

2.1 mi · 4 min · Buttermilk Pike
Use the right lane.
7

Continue on KY 371

0.6 mi · 1 min · Collins Road
Use the right lane.
8

At end of road, turn right onto Amsterdam Road

31 ft · 0 sec · Amsterdam Road
9

Arrive at destination

Amsterdam Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.80 one way

$3.60 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $1.97 $3.95
premium $4.89 $2.21 $4.43
diesel $5.61 $2.54 $5.08

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.4 0 $1.21 $0.55
Efficient EV 2.9 0 $1.01 $0.46
EV Truck/SUV 4.6 0 $1.61 $0.74

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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

Independence, KY

Morning in Independence on Saturday

Local time

8:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Villa Hills, KY

Morning in Villa Hills on Saturday

Local time

8:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

54°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

2 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

21m 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 Independence, KY to Villa Hills, KY covers 11.5 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are KY 17, Buttermilk Pike, Orphanage Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 5.7 miles from Independence, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.80 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 21m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (KY 17): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.8 miles (KY 371 / Orphanage Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles (US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371 / Dixie Highway): Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Independence, KY to Villa Hills, 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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