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Trip from Salina, KS to Washington, KS

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

Drive Time

1h 58m

Distance

101.7 mi

164 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$16

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 25 min
4 AM
1h 50m ★
6 AM
1h 58m
8 AM
2h 15m
10 AM
2h 4m
12 PM
2h 3m
3 PM
2h 5m
5 PM
2h 15m
8 PM
1h 53m

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 Saline County, Kansas, United States

Salina, KS

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Washington, KS, KS

Washington, KS

Townsend Walton

Trip Overview

The drive from Salina, KS to Washington, KS covers 101.7 miles and takes about 1h 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on US 81, US 36, North 9th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 65.2 miles on US 81. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.90 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

50.8 miles from Salina, KS

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 58m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 58m. Total distance: 101.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 58m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (95%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 58m highway drive covering 101.7 miles, with most of the trip on US 81 and US 36. The longest continuous stretch is about 65.2 miles on US 81.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 81 is the longest continuous segment at about 65.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 81 and US 36. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Iron Avenue.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 58m drive. You will face about 9 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 (West Iron Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

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

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | West Iron Avenue

Turn left onto West Iron Avenue

Navigation decision point

7
2.6 mi into trip | ~6m in

Turn left toward I 70 West: Hays

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 70 West: Hays
4
4.1 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the exit toward US 81 North: Concordia

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward US 81 North: Concordia
4
69.7 mi into trip | ~1h 19m in

Take the exit

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

4
101.4 mi into trip | ~1h 57m in | C Street

Turn left onto C Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 81 65.2 mi 1h 10m
US 36 31.4 mi 37m
North 9th Street 2.5 mi 5m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway 1.2 mi 1m
C Street 0.3 mi 1m
West Iron Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
South 8th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 81 — 65.2 mi, about 1h 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Salina, KS and Washington, KS.

1

Start on South 8th Street

92 ft · 9 sec · South 8th Street
2

Turn left onto West Iron Avenue

279 ft · 15 sec · West Iron Avenue
3

Turn right onto North 9th Street

2.5 mi · 5 min · North 9th Street
4

Turn left

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Toward I 70 West: Hays Use the left lane.
5

Merge onto I 70; US 40

1.2 mi · 1 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
6

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 42 sec
Toward US 81 North: Concordia
7

Merge onto US 81

65 mi · 1 hr 10 min · US 81
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 33 sec
9

Merge onto US 36

31 mi · 37 min · US 36
10

Turn left onto C Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · C Street
11

Arrive at destination

C Street

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 50.8 miles from Salina, KS, or about 58m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 65.2 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 22 miles or 27m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 50.8 miles or 58m 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 35m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Washington, KS than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Salina, KS so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Salina, KS

This is one driving day of about 101.7 miles and 1h 58m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 22 miles from Salina, KS.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 81 for about 65.2 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 50.8 mi from Salina, KS · 58m into the drive

Downtown Delphos, KS, KS

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Delphos, KS

51 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

Minneapolis, KS

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 22 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Belleville, KS

Meal break

The midpoint is around 50.8 miles from Salina, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before US 81 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 65.2 miles.

Arriving in Washington, KS

The final approach into Washington, KS 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

$15.90 one way

$31.80 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 36 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $17.46 $34.91
premium $4.89 $19.57 $39.14
diesel $5.61 $22.45 $44.91

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$16

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$41–$66

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 35.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 30.5 0 $10.68 $4.88
Efficient EV 25.4 0 $8.90 $4.07
EV Truck/SUV 40.7 0 $14.24 $6.51

Gas CO2

36 kg

EV CO2

12 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Salina, KS

Evening in Salina on Friday

Local time

8:03 PM

CDT

Current temp

81°F

Sunny

NNW 15 to 22 mph 12% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 2:47PM CDT until April 17 at 3:15PM CDT by NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill...

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 2:46PM CDT until April 17 at 3:45PM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Destination

Washington, KS

Evening in Washington on Friday

Local time

8:03 PM

CDT

Current temp

76°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

83°F

Delphos, KS

51 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.

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

5 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 58m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Salina, KS to Washington, KS covers 101.7 miles and takes about 1h 58m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are US 81, US 36, North 9th Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 50.8 miles from Salina, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.90 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 58m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Iron Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

The route from Salina, KS to Washington, KS 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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