Trip from Richmond, KY to Van Lear, KY

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

2h 21m

Distance

113.1 mi

182 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$18

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 29 min

4 AM

2h 11m ★

6 AM

2h 21m

8 AM

2h 40m

10 AM

2h 28m

12 PM

2h 26m

3 PM

2h 29m

5 PM

2h 39m

8 PM

2h 15m

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 and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States

Richmond, KY

Wikimedia Commons

Van Lear, KY

Murat IŞIK

Trip Overview

The drive from Richmond, KY to Van Lear, KY covers 113.1 miles and takes about 2h 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Mountain Parkway, Irvine Road, New Paintsville Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 60 miles on Mountain Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.68 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

56.5 miles from Richmond, KY

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 13m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 21m. Total distance: 113.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (60%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

The drive from Richmond, KY to Van Lear, KY covers 113.1 miles and takes about 2h 21m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

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

There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Mountain Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 60 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 early in the drive near US 25 Business; US 421 Business; KY 52 / West Main 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 2h 21m 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: near the start (US 25 Business; US 421 Business; KY 52 / West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 18.8 miles (KY 89 / Winchester Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 30.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

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

0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 25 Business; US 421 Business; KY 52 / West Main Street

Turn left onto US 25 Business; US 421 Business; KY 52 / West Main Street

Navigation decision point

18.8 mi into trip | ~28m in | KY 89 / Winchester Road

At end of road, turn left onto KY 89 / Winchester Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

30.9 mi into trip | ~46m in

Take the ramp

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

104.6 mi into trip | ~2h 6m in | US 460

Take the exit onto US 460

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

113.1 mi into trip | ~2h 20m in | Possum Hollow Road

Keep slight left at fork onto Possum Hollow Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Mountain Parkway	60 mi	1h 4m
Irvine Road	13 mi	19m
New Paintsville Road	11.9 mi	13m
Richmond Road	5.8 mi	8m
Spout Springs Road	5 mi	7m
Winchester Road	5 mi	7m
US 460	4.4 mi	5m
KY 302	2.8 mi	6m

Longest stretch: Mountain Parkway — 60 mi, about 1h 4m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Richmond, KY and Van Lear, KY.

Start on KY 388

104 ft · 9 sec · North 2nd Street

Turn left onto US 25 Business; US 421 Business; KY 52

0.6 mi · 1 min · West Main Street

Turn left onto KY 52

11 mi · 15 min · Irvine Road

Continue on KY 52

5.8 mi · 8 min · Richmond Road

Turn left onto KY 499

1.5 mi · 2 min · Joseph Proctor Memorial Bypass

At end of road, turn left onto KY 89

5.0 mi · 7 min · Winchester Road

Use the left lane.

Turn right onto KY 82

5.0 mi · 7 min · Spout Springs Road

Continue on Irvine Road

2.1 mi · 3 min · Irvine Road

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec

Use the straight / right lanes.

Merge onto Mountain Parkway

60 mi · 1 hr 4 min · Mountain Parkway

Turn left onto US 460

0.9 mi · 58 sec · Rock House Road

Continue on US 460

0.6 mi · 43 sec · Wheeler Branch Road

Continue on US 460

12 mi · 13 min · New Paintsville Road

Take the exit onto US 460

4.4 mi · 5 min · US 460

Turn left onto KY 1428

1.2 mi · 1 min · KY 1428

Turn right onto KY 302

2.8 mi · 6 min · KY 302

Turn slight left onto Miller Creek Road

488 ft · 21 sec · Miller Creek Road

Keep slight left at fork onto Possum Hollow Road

43 ft · 1 sec · Possum Hollow Road

Arrive at destination

Possum Hollow 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 56.5 miles from Richmond, KY, or about 1h 13m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 60 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 25 miles or 37m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 56.5 miles or 1h 13m 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 52m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Richmond, 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 Richmond, KY

This is one driving day of about 113.1 miles and 2h 21m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 miles from Richmond, KY.

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

The longest stretch is on Mountain Parkway for about 60 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 56.5 mi from Richmond, KY · 1h 13m into the drive

city in Breathitt County, Kentucky, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Jackson, KY

57 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

Clay City, KY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 25 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Jackson, KY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 56.5 miles from Richmond, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Mountain Parkway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 60 miles.

Arriving in Van Lear, KY

The final approach into Van Lear, 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 Van Lear, KY.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$17.68 one way

$35.36 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 40 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.36	$19.41	$38.83
premium	$4.89	$21.77	$43.53
diesel	$5.61	$24.97	$49.94

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$18

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$43–$68

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 39.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	33.9	$11.88	$5.43
Efficient EV	28.3	$9.90	$4.52
EV Truck/SUV	45.2	$15.83	$7.24

Gas CO2

40 kg

EV CO2

13 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 as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Richmond, KY

Evening in Richmond on Thursday

Local time

5:36 PM

EDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Van Lear, KY

Evening in Van Lear on Thursday

Local time

5:36 PM

EDT

Current temp

77°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

26 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

2h 21m 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 Van Lear, KY covers 113.1 miles and takes about 2h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Mountain Parkway, Irvine Road, New Paintsville Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 56.5 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 $17.68 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 2h 21m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The route from Richmond, KY to Van Lear, KY does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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