The drive from Lenexa, KS to Hill City, KS covers 317.9 miles and takes about 5h 40m 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, KS 10 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 146.6 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $49.70 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
158.9 miles from Lenexa, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 48m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 40m. Total distance: 317.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 5h 40m drive with frequent turns across 317.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 23 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 146.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 317.9 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: at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0.6 mi into trip|~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 35 South, US 56 West, US 169 South: Wichita
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward I 35 South, US 56 West, US 169 South: Wi...
8
1.7 mi into trip|~3m in
Take the exit toward I 435 West, KS 10 West
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 222B
Toward I 435 West, KS 10 West
6
2.5 mi into trip|~4m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
2.9 mi into trip|~5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward KS 10 West: Lawrence
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward KS 10 West: Lawrence
8
53.6 mi into trip|~1h in|I 70 / Kansas Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto I 70 / Kansas Turnpike toward I-70 West, US 40 West: Topeka, Salina
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I-70 West, US 40 West: Topeka, Salina
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 Lenexa, KS to Hill City, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Salina along the way.
Salina
53.6 mi in|~1h|via I 70
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
146.6 mi
2h 26m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
91.6 mi
1h 34m
KS 10
36.7 mi
40m
US 283
21.2 mi
31m
Kansas Turnpike
14.3 mi
14m
US 40 Bus
3.5 mi
5m
I 35
0.9 mi
<1m
Lenexa Drive
0.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 146.6 mi, about 2h 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lenexa, KS and Hill City, KS.
1
Start on this road
256 ft·20 sec·this road
2
Turn right
71 ft·10 sec
3
Turn left onto Rosehill Road
500 ft·21 sec·Rosehill Road
4
Turn right onto Lenexa Drive
0.1 mi·31 sec·Lenexa Drive
5
Continue on Lenexa Drive
0.1 mi·33 sec·Lenexa Drive
6
Turn right onto West 95th Street
0.2 mi·19 sec·West 95th Street
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward I 35 South, US 56 West, US 169 South: WichitaUse the straight / left lanes.
8
Merge onto I 35; US 56; US 169
0.9 mi·59 sec·I 35; US 56; US 169
9
Take the exit
0.8 mi·1 min
Exit 222BToward I 435 West, KS 10 WestUse the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi·33 sec
Use the straight lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward KS 10 West: LawrenceUse the slight left lane.
12
Continue on KS 10
37 mi·40 min·KS 10
Use the straight lane.
13
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
14
Merge onto I 70
13 mi·13 min·Kansas Turnpike
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 70
0.9 mi·1 min·Kansas Turnpike
Toward I-70 West, US 40 West: Topeka, SalinaUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
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,...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$49.70 one way
$99.40 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg111 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$54.57
$109.14
premium
$4.89
$61.18
$122.35
diesel
$5.61
$70.19
$140.38
Estimated Tolls: $0.72
Kansas Turnpike
(14.3 mi)$0.72
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
$50
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$75–$100
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 111.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
95.4
1
$33.38
$15.26
Efficient EV
79.5
0
$27.82
$12.72
EV Truck/SUV
127.2
1
$44.51
$20.35
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 15, 2026
Origin
Lenexa, KS
Morning
in Lenexa on Saturday
Local time
6:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Hill City, KS
Morning
in Hill City on Saturday
Local time
6:37 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
22 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
5h 40m 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 Lenexa, KS to Hill City, KS covers 317.9 miles and takes about 5h 40m 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, KS 10. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 158.9 miles from Lenexa, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $49.70 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 demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 317.9 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: at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Lenexa, KS to Hill City, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Salina along the way.
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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
