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Trip from Lexington, KY to Russell Springs, KY

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

Drive Time

1h 43m

Distance

82 mi

132 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 23 min
4 AM
1h 36m ★
6 AM
1h 44m
8 AM
1h 59m
10 AM
1h 49m
12 PM
1h 48m
3 PM
1h 50m
5 PM
1h 58m
8 PM
1h 39m

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

Downtown Russell Springs, KY, KY

Russell Springs, KY

Vietnam Hidden Light

Trip Overview

The drive from Lexington, KY to Russell Springs, KY covers 82 miles and takes about 1h 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Gainesway Drive, Tates Creek Road, KY 4 West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.82 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

41 miles from Lexington, KY

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 51m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 43m. Total distance: 82 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 43m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 43m drive with frequent turns across 82 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.
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 Russell Springs, KY is easy. At 1h 43m 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 Russell Springs, KY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Gainesway Drive
Tates Creek Road
KY 4 West
New Circle Road
US 27
Nicholasville Road
Lexington Road
North Main Street

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 Russell Springs, KY.

1

Start on Coldstream Drive

262 ft · 12 sec · Coldstream Drive
2

Turn right onto Gainesway Drive

1.0 mi · 2 min · Gainesway Drive
3

Turn right onto Tates Creek Road

0.3 mi · 35 sec · Tates Creek Road
4

Turn left onto KY 4 West: New Circle Road

0.4 mi · 49 sec · KY 4 West: New Circle Road
5

Merge slight left onto New Circle Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · New Circle Road
6

Take the exit slight right toward US 27: Nicholasville, Lexington

0.3 mi · 49 sec · US 27: Nicholasville, Lexington
7

Turn left onto Nicholasville Road

2.5 mi · 3 min · Nicholasville Road
8

Continue on Lexington Road

4.5 mi · 5 min · Lexington Road
9

Turn left onto North Main Street

3.8 mi · 6 min · North Main Street
10

Turn left onto Nicholasville Bypass

6.0 mi · 7 min · Nicholasville Bypass
11

Continue on Lexington Road

6.4 mi · 7 min · Lexington Road
12

Turn right onto Chenault Bridge Road

1.4 mi · 2 min · Chenault Bridge Road
13

Continue on Lexington Road

3.6 mi · 5 min · Lexington Road
14

Continue on Lexington Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Lexington Road
15

Continue on East Lexington Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Lexington Avenue
16

Turn left onto Wilderness Road

0.3 mi · 27 sec · Wilderness Road
17

Turn right onto West Main Street

0.4 mi · 48 sec · West Main Street
18

Turn left onto South 4th Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · South 4th Street
19

Continue on Hustonville Road

46 mi · 53 min · Hustonville Road
20

Turn right onto Steve Warriner Drive

0.2 mi · 18 sec · Steve Warriner Drive
21

Continue on Steve Wariner Drive

0.4 mi · 36 sec · Steve Wariner Drive
22

Turn left onto Main Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · Main Street
23

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 41 miles from Lexington, KY, or about 51m 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 18 miles or 22m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 41 miles or 51m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 28m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Russell Springs, KY than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Lexington, KY so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Lexington, KY

This is one driving day of about 82 miles and 1h 43m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Lexington, KY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 41 mi from Lexington, KY · 51m into the drive

city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Danville, KY

41 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

Nicholasville, KY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Danville, KY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 41 miles from Lexington, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Russell Springs, KY

The final approach into Russell Springs, 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

$12.82 one way

$25.64 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 29 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $14.08 $28.15
premium $4.89 $15.78 $31.56
diesel $5.61 $18.10 $36.21

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$13

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$38–$63

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 28.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 24.6 0 $8.61 $3.94
Efficient EV 20.5 0 $7.18 $3.28
EV Truck/SUV 32.8 0 $11.48 $5.25

Gas CO2

29 kg

EV CO2

10 kg (66% 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

Night in Lexington on Friday

Local time

11:00 PM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Russell Springs, KY

Night in Russell Springs on Friday

Local time

10:00 PM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

75°F

Danville, KY

41 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

1 hour earlier

The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.

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 43m 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 Russell Springs, KY covers 82 miles and takes about 1h 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Gainesway Drive, Tates Creek Road, KY 4 West. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 41 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 $12.82 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 Russell Springs, KY is easy. At 1h 43m 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 Russell Springs, KY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Lexington, KY to Russell Springs, 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

Russell Springs, KY to Lexington, KY

Plan the drive back the other way.

81.6 mi 1h 42m

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