Origin
Nebraska City, NE
Evening in Nebraska City on Friday
Local time
6:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Nebraska City, NE to Lincoln, NE
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
48.1 mi
77 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 56m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
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.
Nebraska City, NE
Tom Fisk
Lincoln, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Nebraska City, NE to Lincoln, NE covers 48.1 miles and takes about 1h behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Highway 2, F Road, Nebraska Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17 miles on Highway 2. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.52 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 48.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Nebraska City, NE to Lincoln, NE covers 48.1 miles and takes about 1h, 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 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Highway 2 is the longest continuous segment at about 17 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near Steinhart Park Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.1 miles you will encounter 11 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: at 1 miles (Steinhart Park Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 2.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Steinhart Park Road
Turn left onto Steinhart Park Road
Navigation decision point
4
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
38.5 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward To Lincoln via Nebraska Parkway, 120th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward To Lincoln via Nebraska Parkway, 120th S...
5
38.9 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Keep slight right at fork toward To Lincoln via Nebraska Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward To Lincoln via Nebraska Parkway
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 2 | 17 mi | 18m |
| F Road | 7.7 mi | 8m |
| Nebraska Parkway | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Rokeby Road | 4 mi | 4m |
| H Road | 3.5 mi | 3m |
| South 40th Street | 2.6 mi | 5m |
| I Road | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Central Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Highway 2
— 17 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Nebraska City, NE and Lincoln, NE.
1
Start on Central Avenue
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
2
Turn left onto Steinhart Park Road
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Steinhart Park Road
3
Turn right onto N-2 Business
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
4th Corso
4
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
48 sec
6
Merge onto N-2
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Highway 2
7
Continue on N-2
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I Road
8
Continue on N-2
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 2
9
Continue on N-2
3.5 mi
·
3 min
·
H Road
10
Continue on N-2
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 2
11
Continue on N-2
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
F Road
12
Continue on N-2
0.7 mi
·
56 sec
·
Highway 2
13
Continue on N-2; N-43
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
F Road
14
Continue on N-2; N-43
4.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Rokeby Road
15
Continue on N-2
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Nebraska Highway 2
16
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward To Lincoln via Nebraska Parkway, 120th Street
17
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward To Lincoln via Nebraska Parkway
18
Turn straight onto Nebraska Parkway
6.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Nebraska Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
19
Turn right onto South 40th Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
South 40th Street
20
Enter roundabout onto South 40th Street
125 ft
·
2 sec
·
South 40th Street
21
Continue on South 40th Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
South 40th Street
22
Turn left onto B Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
B Street
23
Arrive at destination
B Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 24 mi from Nebraska City, NE · 27m 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
Arriving in Lincoln, NE
The final approach into Lincoln, 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
$7.52 one way
$15.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.26 | $16.51 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.26 | $18.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.62 | $21.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.8 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 | 14.4 | 0 | $5.05 | $2.31 |
| Efficient EV | 12 | 0 | $4.21 | $1.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.2 | 0 | $6.73 | $3.08 |
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
Lincoln, NE
Evening in Lincoln on Friday
Local time
6:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
53°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 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 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 Nebraska City, NE to Lincoln, NE covers 48.1 miles and takes about 1h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Highway 2, F Road, Nebraska Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 24 miles from Nebraska City, NE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.52 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 48.1 miles you will encounter 11 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: at 1 miles (Steinhart Park Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 2.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from Nebraska City, NE to Lincoln, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Lincoln, NE
More trips to Lincoln, NE
Explore more options from Nebraska City, NE or browse trips ending in Lincoln, NE.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NE road trips.