Trip from Lakin, KS to Shawnee, KS

Drive Time

6h 16m

Distance

395.7 mi

637 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$60

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 38 min
4 AM
6h 4m ★
6 AM
6h 17m
8 AM
6h 42m
10 AM
6h 25m
12 PM
6h 23m
3 PM
6h 27m
5 PM
6h 41m
8 PM
6h 9m

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

Downtown Shawnee, KS, KS

Shawnee, KS

Tien Nguyen

Trip Overview

The drive from Lakin, KS to Shawnee, KS covers 395.7 miles and takes about 6h 16m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on East Mary Street, Railroad Avenue, Washington Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $60.10 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

197.8 miles from Lakin, KS

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 8m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 6h 16m drive with frequent turns across 395.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 30 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East Mary Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

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.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 16m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Lakin, KS to Shawnee, KS is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Mary Street Unavailable Refreshing
Railroad Avenue Unavailable Refreshing
Washington Street Unavailable Refreshing
Main Street Unavailable Refreshing
10th Street Unavailable Refreshing
I-70 East Unavailable Refreshing
Dwight D Unavailable Refreshing
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: East Mary Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lakin, KS and Shawnee, KS.

1

Start on South Main Street

0.4 mi · 37 sec · South Main Street
2

Turn right

25 mi · 28 min
3

Take the exit slight right

0.4 mi · 56 sec
4

Keep slight left

161 ft · 5 sec
5

Turn slight left onto East Mary Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · East Mary Street
6

Turn left

118 mi · 2 hr 22 min
7

Turn right onto Railroad Avenue

2.1 mi · 5 min · Railroad Avenue
8

At the end of the road, turn right onto Washington Street

151 ft · 4 sec · Washington Street
9

Keep slight left to continue on Railroad Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · Railroad Avenue
10

Turn left onto Main Street

0.4 mi · 40 sec · Main Street
11

Turn right onto 10th Street

3.8 mi · 5 min · 10th Street
12

Turn left

48 mi · 55 min
13

Take the ramp right toward I-70 East, Salina

0.2 mi · 30 sec · I-70 East, Salina
14

Merge slight left onto Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway

49 mi · 49 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
15

Continue on Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway

75 mi · 1 hr 14 min · Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
16

Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway

1.1 mi · 1 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
17

Continue on Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway

15 mi · 17 min · Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
18

Keep slight left to continue on Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway

0.8 mi · 52 sec · Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
19

Continue on Kansas Turnpike

49 mi · 49 min · Kansas Turnpike
20

Take the exit slight right toward College Parkway

0.2 mi · 29 sec · College Parkway
21

Keep slight right to continue on Turner Diagonal

390 ft · 10 sec · Turner Diagonal
22

Turn straight onto Turner Diagonal

1.2 mi · 1 min · Turner Diagonal
23

Continue straight

1.0 mi · 1 min
24

Turn right onto South 55th Street

0.4 mi · 53 sec · South 55th Street
25

Turn slight right

167 ft · 7 sec
26

Turn straight onto Inland Drive

0.5 mi · 1 min · Inland Drive
27

Turn left onto South 59th Street

2.8 mi · 5 min · South 59th Street
28

Turn right onto 47th Street

0.3 mi · 55 sec · 47th Street
29

Turn left onto Bond Street

0.2 mi · 43 sec · Bond Street
30

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

Evening Departure

This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 197.8 miles from Lakin, KS, or about 3h 8m into the drive.

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 87 miles or 1h 22m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 197.8 miles or 3h 8m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 5h 19m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Lakin, 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 Lakin, KS

This is one driving day of about 395.7 miles and 6h 16m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 87 miles from Lakin, KS.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 197.8 mi from Lakin, KS · 3h 8m into the drive

Downtown Lincoln, KS, KS

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lincoln, KS

198 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

Lincoln, KS to Shawnee, KS

208.7 mi · 3h 9m

Pacing Suggestions

Hill City, KS

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 87 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lincoln, KS

Meal break

The midpoint is around 197.8 miles from Lakin, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$60.10 one way

$120.21 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 138 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $66.26 $132.51
premium $4.80 $74.70 $149.40
diesel $5.64 $87.91 $175.82

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$60

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$85–$110

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 138.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $42 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 118.7 1 $41.55 $18.99
Efficient EV 98.9 1 $34.62 $15.83
EV Truck/SUV 158.3 1 $55.40 $25.32

Gas CO2

138 kg

EV CO2

46 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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Lakin, KS

Morning in Lakin on Monday

Local time

9:30 AM

CDT

Current temp

40°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Shawnee, KS

Morning in Shawnee on Monday

Local time

9:30 AM

CDT

Current temp

49°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Along the Route

44°F

Lincoln, KS

198 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

9 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

6h 16m on the road

Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Lakin, KS to Shawnee, KS covers 395.7 miles and takes about 6h 16m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East Mary Street, Railroad Avenue, Washington Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 197.8 miles from Lakin, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $60.10 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
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.
The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 16m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Lakin, KS to Shawnee, KS is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Lakin, KS to Shawnee, KS does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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