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Trip from Nicholasville, KY to Carrollton, KY

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 48m

Distance

75 mi

121 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 24 min
4 AM
1h 41m ★
6 AM
1h 49m
8 AM
2h 5m
10 AM
1h 55m
12 PM
1h 53m
3 PM
1h 55m
5 PM
2h 4m
8 PM
1h 44m

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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city in Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States

Nicholasville, KY

Wikimedia Commons

city in Carroll County, Kentucky

Carrollton, KY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Nicholasville, KY to Carrollton, KY covers 75 miles and takes about 1h 48m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on KY 355, US 127, KY 227 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.9 miles on KY 355. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.73 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

37.5 miles from Nicholasville, KY

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 50m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 48m. Total distance: 75 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 48m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (58%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

The drive from Nicholasville, KY to Carrollton, KY covers 75 miles and takes about 1h 48m, 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 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
KY 355 is the longest continuous segment at about 18.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near KY 169 / West Oak Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 48m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow 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 0.3 miles (KY 169 / North 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.3 miles (KY 33 / Troy Pike): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

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

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | KY 169 / West Oak Street

Turn left onto KY 169 / West Oak Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | KY 169 / North 3rd Street

At end of road, turn right onto KY 169 / North 3rd Street

Navigation decision point

5
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

5
30.3 mi into trip | ~42m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

4
53.2 mi into trip | ~1h 12m in | KY 355 / Crittenden Street

Turn left onto KY 355 / Crittenden Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
KY 355 18.9 mi 33m
US 127 16.2 mi 18m
KY 227 8.4 mi 12m
Frankfort Road 6 mi 6m
Keene Road 5.3 mi 7m
Pinckard Pike 4.5 mi 6m
Versailles Road 3.3 mi 5m
Keene-Versailles Road 2.1 mi 2m
Longest stretch: KY 355 — 18.9 mi, about 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on US 27 Business

0.1 mi · 20 sec · North Main Street
2

Turn left onto KY 169

0.2 mi · 19 sec · West Oak Street
3

At end of road, turn right onto KY 169

0.8 mi · 1 min · North 3rd Street
4

Continue on KY 169

5.1 mi · 7 min · Keene Road
5

Continue on KY 169; KY 1267

0.2 mi · 20 sec · Keene Road
6

Turn left onto KY 169

0.4 mi · 39 sec · Pinchard Pike
7

Continue on KY 169

2.1 mi · 2 min · Keene-Versailles Road
8

Continue on KY 169

4.5 mi · 6 min · Pinckard Pike
9

At end of road, turn right onto KY 33

2.1 mi · 3 min · Troy Pike
10

Continue on KY 33

1.4 mi · 2 min · South Main Street
11

Continue on US 60 Business; US 62

0.6 mi · 51 sec · Frankfort Street
12

Continue on US 60 Business; US 62

472 ft · 7 sec · US 60 Business; US 62
13

Turn left onto US 60; US 62

6.0 mi · 6 min · Frankfort Road
14

Continue on US 60

1.8 mi · 2 min · Frankfort Highway
15

Continue on US 60

3.3 mi · 5 min · Versailles Road
16

Continue on US 421

1.5 mi · 2 min · Wilkinson Boulevard
17

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 16 sec
18

Keep slight left at fork

410 ft · 11 sec
19

Turn left onto US 127

16 mi · 18 min · US 127
20

Turn left onto KY 355

6.6 mi · 11 min · KY 355
21

Turn right onto KY 22; KY 355

299 ft · 10 sec · Waverly Road
22

Turn left onto KY 355

0.2 mi · 18 sec · Crittenden Street
23

Continue on KY 355

12 mi · 21 min · KY 355
24

At end of road, turn left onto KY 227

8.4 mi · 12 min · KY 227
25

At end of road, turn left onto US 42; KY 36

0.9 mi · 1 min · Highland Avenue
26

Arrive at destination

US 42; KY 36

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 37.5 miles from Nicholasville, KY, or about 50m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 18.9 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 17 miles or 25m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 37.5 miles or 50m 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 31m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Carrollton, 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.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Nicholasville, KY

This is one driving day of about 75 miles and 1h 48m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Nicholasville, KY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on KY 355 for about 18.9 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 37.5 mi from Nicholasville, KY · 50m into the drive

county seat city in Franklin County, Kentucky, USA and Kentucky federated state capital city

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Frankfort, KY

38 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

Versailles, KY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Frankfort, KY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 37.5 miles from Nicholasville, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Carrollton, KY

The final approach into Carrollton, 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.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Camp Nelson National Monument

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

$11.73 one way

$23.45 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 26 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $12.87 $25.75
premium $4.89 $14.43 $28.87
diesel $5.61 $16.56 $33.12

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: 26.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 22.5 0 $7.87 $3.60
Efficient EV 18.8 0 $6.56 $3.00
EV Truck/SUV 30 0 $10.50 $4.80

Gas CO2

26 kg

EV CO2

9 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Nicholasville, KY

Night in Nicholasville on Friday

Local time

11:05 PM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Carrollton, KY

Night in Carrollton on Friday

Local time

11:05 PM

EDT

Current temp

53°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

20 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 48m 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 Carrollton, KY covers 75 miles and takes about 1h 48m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are KY 355, US 127, KY 227. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 37.5 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 $11.73 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 1h 48m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (KY 169 / West Oak Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (KY 169 / North 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.3 miles (KY 33 / Troy Pike): Navigation decision point.

The route from Nicholasville, KY to Carrollton, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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