Origin
Richmond, KY
Afternoon in Richmond on Saturday
Local time
12:41 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richmond, KY to Frankfort, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
52 mi
84 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Richmond, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Frankfort, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Richmond, KY to Frankfort, KY covers 52 miles and takes about 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on West Main Street, Lexington Road, I 64 West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.13 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 52 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 51m drive with frequent turns across 52 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Main Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Richmond, KY to Frankfort, KY is easy. At 51m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Richmond, KY to Frankfort, KY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Main Street | — | — |
| Lexington Road | — | — |
| I 64 West | — | — |
| US 60 | — | — |
| Frankfort | — | — |
| Versailles Road | — | — |
| East-West Connector | — | — |
| Martin Luther King Drive | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
West Main Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richmond, KY and Frankfort, KY.
1
Start on North 2nd Street
105 ft
·
6 sec
·
North 2nd Street
2
Turn right onto West Main Street
0.5 mi
·
46 sec
·
West Main Street
3
Continue on Lexington Road
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Lexington Road
4
Turn left onto Lexington Road
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Lexington Road
5
Take the ramp slight right
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
6
Merge slight left
27 mi
·
29 min
7
Keep slight left to continue on I 64 West: Frankfort, Louisville
17 mi
·
17 min
·
I 64 West: Frankfort, Louisville
8
Take the exit slight right toward US 60: Versailles, Frankfort
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
US 60: Versailles, Frankfort
9
Keep slight right to continue on Frankfort
233 ft
·
8 sec
·
Frankfort
10
Merge slight left onto Versailles Road
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Versailles Road
11
Take the exit slight left
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
12
Turn straight onto East-West Connector
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
East-West Connector
13
Turn right onto Martin Luther King Drive
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Martin Luther King Drive
14
Turn left onto East Main Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Main Street
15
Turn right onto East Broadway Street
449 ft
·
22 sec
·
East Broadway Street
16
Turn right onto High Street
466 ft
·
17 sec
·
High Street
17
Turn left onto West Clinton Street
246 ft
·
7 sec
·
West Clinton Street
18
Turn right onto Elk Alley
443 ft
·
19 sec
·
Elk Alley
19
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26 mi from Richmond, KY · 25m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26 miles from Richmond, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Frankfort, KY
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Frankfort, KY if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.13 one way
$16.26 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.93 | $17.85 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.01 | $20.01 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.48 | $22.96 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.6 | 0 | $5.46 | $2.50 |
| Efficient EV | 13 | 0 | $4.55 | $2.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.8 | 0 | $7.28 | $3.33 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Frankfort, KY
Afternoon in Frankfort on Saturday
Local time
12:41 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
51°F
Georgetown, KY
26 mi in
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
51m 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 Richmond, KY to Frankfort, KY covers 52 miles and takes about 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West Main Street, Lexington Road, I 64 West. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26 miles from Richmond, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.13 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 drive from Richmond, KY to Frankfort, KY is easy. At 51m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Richmond, KY to Frankfort, KY is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Richmond, KY to Frankfort, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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