Origin
Nicholasville, KY
Morning in Nicholasville on Saturday
Local time
10:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Nicholasville, KY to Dry Ridge, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
60.6 mi
98 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Nicholasville, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Dry Ridge, KY
Marko Mocilac
Trip Overview
The drive from Nicholasville, KY to Dry Ridge, KY covers 60.6 miles and takes about 1h 14m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 75, Nicholasville Road, Lexington Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 40.9 miles on I 75. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.47 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 60.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 14m highway drive covering 60.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 75 and Nicholasville Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 40.9 miles on I 75.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 75 is the longest continuous segment at about 40.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 75 and Nicholasville Road. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 11.9 miles in near South Upper Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 60.6 miles you will encounter 10 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 11.9 miles (South Upper Street): Navigation decision point; at 12 miles (Bolivar Street): Navigation decision point; at 18.9 miles (I 75): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
11.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
South Upper Street
Turn left onto South Upper Street
Navigation decision point
5
12 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Bolivar Street
Turn right onto Bolivar Street
Navigation decision point
7
18.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
I 75
Keep slight right at fork onto I 75 toward I 75 North: Cincinnati
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 75 North: Cincinnati
6
59.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
Take the exit toward KY 22: Dry Ridge, Owenton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 159
Toward KY 22: Dry Ridge, Owenton
6
60 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
|
KY 22; KY 467 / Broadway Street
Turn right onto KY 22; KY 467 / Broadway Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Nicholasville, KY to Dry Ridge, KY, road signs begin pointing toward Cincinnati along the way.
Cincinnati
16.3 mi in
|
~25m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 75 | 40.9 mi | 43m |
| Nicholasville Road | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| Lexington Road | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| Newtown Pike | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| I 64 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| South Limestone | 1 mi | 2m |
| Oliver Lewis Way | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 75
— 40.9 mi, about 43m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Nicholasville, KY and Dry Ridge, KY.
1
Start on US 27 Business
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
North Main Street
2
Turn right onto US 27
4.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Lexington Road
3
Continue on US 27
4.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Nicholasville Road
4
Continue on US 27
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Limestone
5
Turn left onto Winslow Street
421 ft
·
15 sec
·
Winslow Street
6
Turn left onto South Upper Street
227 ft
·
9 sec
·
South Upper Street
7
Turn right onto Bolivar Street
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Bolivar Street
8
Continue on Oliver Lewis Way
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Oliver Lewis Way
9
Continue on US 25; KY 922
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Newtown Pike
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 64 West, I 75 North: Louisville, Cincinnati
11
Merge onto I 64; I 75
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 64; I 75
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 75
41 mi
·
43 min
·
I 75
Toward I 75 North: Cincinnati
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 159
Toward KY 22: Dry Ridge, Owenton
14
Turn right onto KY 22; KY 467
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway Street
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn right
80 ft
·
5 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 30.3 mi from Nicholasville, KY · 41m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 30.3 miles from Nicholasville, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Dry Ridge, KY
The final approach into Dry Ridge, 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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.47 one way
$18.95 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.40 | $20.80 |
| premium | $4.89 | $11.66 | $23.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.38 | $26.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.36 | $2.91 |
| Efficient EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.30 | $2.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.2 | 0 | $8.48 | $3.88 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (67% 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
Dry Ridge, KY
Morning in Dry Ridge on Saturday
Local time
10:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 14m 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 Dry Ridge, KY covers 60.6 miles and takes about 1h 14m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 75, Nicholasville Road, Lexington 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 30.3 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 $9.47 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 60.6 miles you will encounter 10 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 11.9 miles (South Upper Street): Navigation decision point; at 12 miles (Bolivar Street): Navigation decision point; at 18.9 miles (I 75): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Nicholasville, KY to Dry Ridge, KY, road signs begin pointing toward Cincinnati along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Camp Nelson National Monument.
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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