Trip from Nicholasville, KY to Audubon Park, KY

Drive Time

1h 40m

Distance

79.3 mi

128 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 22 min

4 AM

1h 33m ★

6 AM

1h 40m

8 AM

1h 55m

10 AM

1h 46m

12 PM

1h 44m

3 PM

1h 46m

5 PM

1h 55m

8 PM

1h 36m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Nicholasville, KY

Kelly

Trip Overview

The drive from Nicholasville, KY to Audubon Park, KY covers 79.3 miles and takes about 1h 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 64, Frankfort Road, Keene Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 44.8 miles on I 64. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.04 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.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

39.7 miles from Nicholasville, KY

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

Drive Character

This is a 1h 40m highway drive covering 79.3 miles, with most of the trip on I 64 and Frankfort Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 44.8 miles on I 64.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

I 64 is the longest continuous segment at about 44.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 64 and Frankfort Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near KY 169 / West Oak Street.

Route Complexity 9/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 79.3 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (KY 169 / West Oak Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.3 miles (KY 33 / Troy Pike): Navigation decision point; at 71.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 14 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | KY 169 / West Oak Street

Turn left onto KY 169 / West Oak Street

Navigation decision point

13.3 mi into trip | ~19m in | KY 33 / Troy Pike

At end of road, turn right onto KY 33 / Troy Pike

Navigation decision point

71.3 mi into trip | ~1h 25m in

Take the exit toward I 264 East: Watterson Expressway

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 12 Toward I 264 East: Watterson Expressway

77.2 mi into trip | ~1h 34m in

Take the exit toward KY 864: Poplar Level Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 14 Toward KY 864: Poplar Level Road

77.4 mi into trip | ~1h 34m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Louisville Zoo, Louisville Mega Cavern

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward Louisville Zoo, Louisville Mega Cavern

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
I 64	44.8 mi	49m
Frankfort Road	6 mi	6m
Keene Road	5.3 mi	7m
Henry Watterson Expressway	4.9 mi	6m
Pinckard Pike	4.5 mi	6m
Keene-Versailles Road	2.1 mi	2m
Troy Pike	2.1 mi	3m
Frankfort Highway	1.8 mi	2m

Longest stretch: I 64 — 44.8 mi, about 49m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Nicholasville, KY and Audubon Park, KY.

Start on US 27 Business

0.1 mi · 20 sec · North Main Street

Turn left onto KY 169

0.2 mi · 19 sec · West Oak Street

At end of road, turn right onto KY 169

0.8 mi · 1 min · North 3rd Street

Continue on KY 169

5.1 mi · 7 min · Keene Road

Continue on KY 169; KY 1267

0.2 mi · 20 sec · Keene Road

Turn left onto KY 169

0.4 mi · 39 sec · Pinchard Pike

Continue on KY 169

2.1 mi · 2 min · Keene-Versailles Road

Continue on KY 169

4.5 mi · 6 min · Pinckard Pike

At end of road, turn right onto KY 33

2.1 mi · 3 min · Troy Pike

Continue on KY 33

1.4 mi · 2 min · South Main Street

Continue on US 60 Business; US 62

0.6 mi · 51 sec · Frankfort Street

Continue on US 60 Business; US 62

472 ft · 7 sec · US 60 Business; US 62

Turn left onto US 60; US 62

6.0 mi · 6 min · Frankfort Road

Continue on US 60

1.8 mi · 2 min · Frankfort Highway

Continue on US 60

0.8 mi · 1 min · Versailles Road

Turn left

0.3 mi · 43 sec

Merge onto I 64

45 mi · 49 min · I 64

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec

Exit 12 Toward I 264 East: Watterson Expressway Use the slight right lane.

Keep slight left at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min

Toward I 264 West: Watterson Expressway

Merge onto I 264

4.9 mi · 6 min · Henry Watterson Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 16 sec

Exit 14 Toward KY 864: Poplar Level Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork

366 ft · 5 sec

Toward Louisville Zoo, Louisville Mega Cavern Use the slight left / slight right lanes.

Turn straight onto Poplar Level Road

1.1 mi · 2 min · Poplar Level Road

Turn left onto Audubon Parkway

120 ft · 5 sec · Audubon Parkway

Turn slight left onto Nightingale Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Nightingale Road

Keep slight left at fork onto Cardinal Drive

0.2 mi · 37 sec · Cardinal Drive

Turn right onto Dove Road

0.1 mi · 34 sec · Dove Road

Arrive at destination

Dove Road

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 39.7 miles from Nicholasville, KY, or about 51m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 44.8 miles.

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 79.3 miles or 1h 40m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 39.7 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 21m

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

Before You Leave

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

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Nicholasville, KY

This is one driving day of about 79.3 miles and 1h 40m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Nicholasville, KY.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.

The longest stretch is on I 64 for about 44.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 39.7 mi from Nicholasville, KY · 51m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lexington-Fayette, KY

40 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

Louisville, KY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 79.3 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lexington-Fayette, KY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 39.7 miles from Nicholasville, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Audubon Park, KY

The final approach into Audubon Park, KY usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Audubon Park, KY.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Camp Nelson National Monument

National Monument

The US Army established Camp Nelson as a fortified supply depot in April 1863. Over the next 3 years, the site evolved into a massive recruitment and training center for United States Colored Troops a...

6 mi from route ~15 min detour Free

View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$12.04 one way

$24.09 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 28 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.25	$13.28	$26.56
premium	$4.80	$14.97	$29.94
diesel	$5.64	$17.62	$35.24

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$12

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$37–$62

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 27.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	23.8	$8.33	$3.81
Efficient EV	19.8	$6.94	$3.17
EV Truck/SUV	31.7	$11.10	$5.08

Gas CO2

28 kg

EV CO2

9 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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Nicholasville, KY

Afternoon in Nicholasville on Monday

Local time

2:10 PM

EDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Audubon Park, KY

Afternoon in Audubon Park on Monday

Local time

2:10 PM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

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 40m 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 Nicholasville, KY to Audubon Park, KY covers 79.3 miles and takes about 1h 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 64, Frankfort Road, Keene Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 39.7 miles from Nicholasville, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $12.04 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 route from Nicholasville, KY to Audubon Park, KY does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Return Trip

Audubon Park, KY to Nicholasville, KY

Plan the drive back the other way.

79.4 mi 1h 40m

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Trip from Nicholasville, KY to Audubon Park, KY

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Drive Character

How Hard Is This Drive?

Critical Maneuvers

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Arriving in Audubon Park, KY

National Parks Near This Route

Camp Nelson National Monument

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Nicholasville, KY

Audubon Park, KY

Same local time

1 degrees warmer at arrival

1h 40m on the road

Frequently Asked Questions

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