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Trip from Lexington, KY to London, KY

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

Drive Time

1h 22m

Distance

72 mi

116 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 16m ★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 27m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m

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

city in Laurel County, Kentucky, United States

London, KY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Lexington, KY to London, KY covers 72 miles and takes about 1h 22m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Gainesway Drive, Pimlico Parkway, Man O War Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.26 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 22m. Total distance: 72 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 22m drive with frequent turns across 72 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Gainesway Drive 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. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Lexington, KY to London, KY is easy. At 1h 22m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

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

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Gainesway Drive
Pimlico Parkway
Man O War Boulevard
Richmond Road
Athens Boonesboro Road
I 75 South
KY 80
Hal Rogers Parkway

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Gainesway Drive — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lexington, KY and London, KY.

1

Start on Coldstream Drive

262 ft · 14 sec · Coldstream Drive
2

Turn left onto Gainesway Drive

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Gainesway Drive
3

Turn left onto Pimlico Parkway

1.2 mi · 2 min · Pimlico Parkway
4

Turn left onto Man O War Boulevard

1.3 mi · 2 min · Man O War Boulevard
5

Turn right onto Richmond Road

1.5 mi · 2 min · Richmond Road
6

Continue on Athens Boonesboro Road

2.4 mi · 2 min · Athens Boonesboro Road
7

Take the exit slight right toward I 75 South: Knoxville

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 75 South: Knoxville
8

Merge slight left

63 mi · 1 hr 7 min
9

Take the exit slight right toward KY 80, Hal Rogers Parkway: London, Somerset

0.2 mi · 34 sec · KY 80, Hal Rogers Parkway: London, Somerset
10

Turn left onto Hal Rogers Parkway

0.6 mi · 1 min · Hal Rogers Parkway
11

Turn right onto North Main Street

1.4 mi · 2 min · North Main Street
12

Turn left onto East 5th Street

135 ft · 6 sec · East 5th Street
13

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 36 mi from Lexington, KY · 41m into the drive

human settlement in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Brodhead, KY

36 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

Richmond, KY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Brodhead, KY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 36 miles from Lexington, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in London, KY

The final approach into London, 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

$11.26 one way

$22.51 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 25 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $12.36 $24.72
premium $4.89 $13.86 $27.71
diesel $5.61 $15.90 $31.79

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 25.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 21.6 0 $7.56 $3.46
Efficient EV 18 0 $6.30 $2.88
EV Truck/SUV 28.8 0 $10.08 $4.61

Gas CO2

25 kg

EV CO2

8 kg (68% 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

Lexington, KY

Late night in Lexington on Saturday

Local time

12:18 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

London, KY

Late night in London on Saturday

Local time

12:18 AM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

50°F

Brodhead, KY

36 mi in

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

25 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

1h 22m 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 London, KY covers 72 miles and takes about 1h 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Gainesway Drive, Pimlico Parkway, Man O War Boulevard. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 36 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 $11.26 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.

The drive from Lexington, KY to London, KY is easy. At 1h 22m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

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

The route from Lexington, KY to London, 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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Explore More

Return Trip

London, KY to Lexington, KY

Plan the drive back the other way.

72 mi 1h 22m

Explore more options from Lexington, KY or browse trips ending in London, KY.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse KY road trips.