Drive Time
8h 8m
Distance
452.2 mi
728 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$69
one way
Photo: Enric Cruz López
The drive from Pittsburg, KS to Colby, KS covers 452.2 miles and takes about 8h 8m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on West 4th Street, Clayton J, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $68.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
226.1 miles from Pittsburg, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 4m into the drive .
Expect a 8h 8m drive with frequent turns across 452.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 8m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Pittsburg, KS to Colby, KS is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West 4th Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Clayton J | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| East 7th Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 35 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 135 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 70 West | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Dwight D | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Pittsburg, KS and Colby, KS.
Start on North Broadway Street
Turn left onto West 4th Street
Turn left
Turn right
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Clayton J. Connell Memorial Highway
Exit the roundabout onto Clayton J. Connell Memorial Highway
Continue on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Continue on East 7th Avenue
Continue on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Take the exit slight right toward I 35, KS 96: Kansas Turnpike
Continue straight
Keep slight right to continue on I 135 North, KS 96 West, US 81 North, KS 15 North: Salina, Hutchinson
Continue straight
Continue straight
Continue straight
Take the exit slight right toward I 70 West: Hays
Merge slight left onto Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Take the exit slight right toward KS 25, Atwood, Leoti
Turn right onto South Range Avenue
Turn right onto West 3rd Street
Arrive at your destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 99 miles or 1h 46m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 226.1 miles or 4h 4m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 226.1 miles or 4h 4m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 3m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colby, KS than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Pittsburg, KS 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.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Pittsburg, KS
Aim for roughly 226 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Colby, KS
Aim for roughly 226 miles and 4.1 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 226.1 mi from Pittsburg, KS · 4h 4m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
226 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Newton, KSNight 1
226 mi · about 4.1h in
A practical overnight split lands near Newton, KS after about 226 miles or 4.1 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 99 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 226.1 miles from Pittsburg, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 226 miles or 4.1 hours on the road.
The final approach into Colby, KS 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 Colby, KS.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Colby, KS with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$68.68 one way
$137.37 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $75.72 | $151.43 |
| premium | $4.80 | $85.37 | $170.73 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $100.46 | $200.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$69
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$199–$309
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 158.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $47 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 135.7 | 1 | $47.48 | $21.71 |
| Efficient EV | 113.1 | 1 | $39.57 | $18.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 180.9 | 2 | $63.31 | $28.94 |
Gas CO2
158 kg
EV CO2
53 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Evening in Pittsburg on Saturday
Local time
6:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Evening in Colby on Saturday
Local time
6:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
41°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
52°F
Newton, KS
226 mi in
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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