Origin
Nelson, NE
Night in Nelson on Friday
Local time
10:30 PM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Nelson, NE to Ruskin, NE
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
14.6 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Nelson, NE
Gian Tripodoro
Ruskin, NE
Quang Nguyen Vinh
Trip Overview
This short 14.6-mile journey from Nelson, NE to Ruskin, NE takes about 18 minutes to complete, making it an ideal quick trip. You'll spend most of your time on Highway 136 and Highway 14, with just a small portion on South Main Street. With a fuel cost estimated at $2, this drive is incredibly budget-friendly. Given its brevity and the fact that it's a single-day trip, there's no need for an overnight stay. The route stays within the Great Plains region, offering a consistent landscape throughout.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 14.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused drive, with 96% of your travel occurring on main roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.5 miles along Highway 136. This route is primarily characterized by its consistent highway profile, meaning you'll experience relatively steady speeds and minimal turns. It's a straightforward drive that keeps you moving efficiently through the Great Plains.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 8 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Highway 136 is the longest continuous segment at about 10.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Highway 136 and Highway 14. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near N-14 / Highway 14.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (N-14 / Highway 14): Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (US 136 / Highway 136): Navigation decision point; at 14.3 miles (B Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
4 of 4 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
|
N-14 / Highway 14
Turn right onto N-14 / Highway 14
Navigation decision point
3
3.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 136 / Highway 136
Turn left onto US 136 / Highway 136
Navigation decision point
4
14.3 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
B Street
Turn right onto B Street
Navigation decision point
4
14.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Main Street
Turn right onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 136 | 10.5 mi | 12m |
| Highway 14 | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| South Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| B Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West 4th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Highway 136
— 10.5 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Nelson, NE and Ruskin, NE.
1
Start on West 4th Street
110 ft
·
7 sec
·
West 4th Street
2
Turn right onto N-14
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
Highway 14
3
Continue on N-14
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
South Main Street
4
Continue on N-14
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 14
5
Turn left onto US 136
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Highway 136
6
Turn right onto B Street
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
B Street
7
Turn right onto Main Street
295 ft
·
12 sec
·
Main Street
8
Arrive at destination
Main Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.28 one way
$4.57 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.51 | $5.01 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.81 | $5.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.22 | $6.45 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
| Efficient EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.28 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Ruskin, NE
Night in Ruskin on Friday
Local time
10:30 PM
CDT
Current temp
52°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
29 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
18m 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 Nelson, NE to Ruskin, NE covers 14.6 miles and takes about 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Highway 136, Highway 14, South Main Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7.3 miles from Nelson, NE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.28 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 is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (N-14 / Highway 14): Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (US 136 / Highway 136): Navigation decision point; at 14.3 miles (B Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Nelson, NE to Ruskin, 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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