Origin
Lincoln, NE
Late night in Lincoln on Saturday
Local time
12:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lincoln, NE to Nebraska City, NE
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 1m
Distance
48.4 mi
78 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 56m
★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 11m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 5m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lincoln, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Nebraska City, NE
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
The drive from Lincoln, NE to Nebraska City, NE covers 48.4 miles and takes about 1h 1m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South 40th Street, Nebraska Parkway, I 29 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.57 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 1m. Total distance: 48.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 1m 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 1m drive with frequent turns across 48.4 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.
South 40th 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. 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 Lincoln, NE to Nebraska City, NE is easy. At 1h 1m 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 Lincoln, NE to Nebraska City, NE is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South 40th Street | — | — |
| Nebraska Parkway | — | — |
| I 29 | — | — |
| Highway 2 | — | — |
| Rokeby Road | — | — |
| F Road | — | — |
| H Road | — | — |
| I Road | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
South 40th Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lincoln, NE and Nebraska City, NE.
1
Start on B Street
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
B Street
2
Turn right onto South 40th Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
South 40th Street
3
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward South 40th Street
128 ft
·
3 sec
·
South 40th Street
4
Exit the roundabout onto South 40th Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
South 40th Street
5
Turn left onto Nebraska Parkway
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Nebraska Parkway
6
Turn left onto NE 2 East, I 29
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
NE 2 East, I 29
7
Merge slight left onto Nebraska Highway 2
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Nebraska Highway 2
8
Continue on Rokeby Road
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Rokeby Road
9
Continue on F Road
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
F Road
10
Continue on Highway 2
0.7 mi
·
57 sec
·
Highway 2
11
Continue on F Road
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
F Road
12
Continue on Highway 2
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 2
13
Continue on H Road
3.5 mi
·
3 min
·
H Road
14
Continue on Highway 2
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 2
15
Continue on I Road
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I Road
16
Continue on Highway 2
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Highway 2
17
Take the exit slight right
0.9 mi
·
1 min
18
Keep slight left
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
19
Continue on 4th Corso
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
4th Corso
20
Continue on 4th Corso
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
4th Corso
21
Turn left onto Steinhart Park Road
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Steinhart Park Road
22
Turn right onto Central Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
23
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24.2 mi from Lincoln, NE · 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from Lincoln, NE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Nebraska City, NE
The final approach into Nebraska City, NE 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
$7.57 one way
$15.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.31 | $16.62 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.31 | $18.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.69 | $21.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.08 | $2.32 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.78 | $3.10 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Nebraska City, NE
Late night in Nebraska City on Saturday
Local time
12:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
77°F
Eagle, NE
24 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
23 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 1m 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 Lincoln, NE to Nebraska City, NE covers 48.4 miles and takes about 1h 1m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South 40th Street, Nebraska Parkway, I 29. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 24.2 miles from Lincoln, NE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.57 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 Lincoln, NE to Nebraska City, NE is easy. At 1h 1m 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 Lincoln, NE to Nebraska City, NE is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Lincoln, NE to Nebraska City, NE 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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