Origin
Lexington, KY
Morning in Lexington on Saturday
Local time
6:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lexington, KY to Owenton, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
55.8 mi
90 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 5m
★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Owenton, KY
Vietnam Hidden Light
Trip Overview
The drive from Lexington, KY to Owenton, KY covers 55.8 miles and takes about 1h 10m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 127, Versailles Road, Frankfort Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.2 miles on US 127. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.72 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 55.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (43%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Lexington, KY to Owenton, KY covers 55.8 miles and takes about 1h 10m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 127 is the longest continuous segment at about 24.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Gainesway Drive.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 55.8 miles you will encounter 9 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 (Gainesway Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (KY 1974 / Tates Creek Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (KY 4 / New Circle Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Gainesway Drive
Turn right onto Gainesway Drive
Navigation decision point
4
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
KY 1974 / Tates Creek Road
Turn right onto KY 1974 / Tates Creek Road
Navigation decision point
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
KY 4 / New Circle Road
Merge onto KY 4 / New Circle Road
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
7.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward US 60 West: Versailles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 5B
Toward US 60 West: Versailles
5
30.5 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 127 | 24.2 mi | 27m |
| Versailles Road | 8 mi | 11m |
| Frankfort Road | 6 mi | 6m |
| New Circle Road | 5.8 mi | 7m |
| Lexington Road | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Frankfort Highway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Versailles Bypass | 1.6 mi | 1m |
| Wilkinson Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
US 127
— 24.2 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lexington, KY and Owenton, KY.
1
Start on Coldstream Drive
261 ft
·
11 sec
·
Coldstream Drive
2
Turn right onto Gainesway Drive
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Gainesway Drive
3
Turn right onto KY 1974
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Tates Creek Road
4
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward KY 4 West: New Circle Road
5
Merge onto KY 4
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
New Circle Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 5B
Toward US 60 West: Versailles
Use the right lane.
7
Continue on US 60
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Versailles Road
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on US 60
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Lexington Road
9
Turn slight right onto US 60
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Versailles Bypass
10
Continue on US 60; US 62
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Frankfort Road
11
Continue on US 60
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Frankfort Highway
12
Continue on US 60
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Versailles Road
13
Continue on US 421
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Wilkinson Boulevard
14
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
15
Keep slight left at fork
410 ft
·
11 sec
16
Turn left onto US 127
24 mi
·
27 min
·
US 127
17
At end of road, turn left onto US 127; KY 22; KY 227
0.6 mi
·
49 sec
·
South Main Street
18
Turn left onto KY 22
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
West Seminary Street
19
Arrive at destination
KY 22
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 27.9 mi from Lexington, KY · 37m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.9 miles from Lexington, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Owenton, KY
The final approach into Owenton, KY usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.72 one way
$17.45 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.58 | $19.16 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.74 | $21.48 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.32 | $24.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.86 | $2.68 |
| Efficient EV | 14 | 0 | $4.88 | $2.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.3 | 0 | $7.81 | $3.57 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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.
Destination
Owenton, KY
Morning in Owenton on Saturday
Local time
6:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°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
1 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
1h 10m 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 Lexington, KY to Owenton, KY covers 55.8 miles and takes about 1h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 127, Versailles Road, Frankfort Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27.9 miles from Lexington, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.72 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.8 miles you will encounter 9 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 (Gainesway Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (KY 1974 / Tates Creek Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (KY 4 / New Circle Road): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Lexington, KY to Owenton, 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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