Origin
Salina, KS
Late night in Salina on Saturday
Local time
5:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Salina, KS to Abilene, KS
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
26.6 mi
43 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Salina, KS
Wikimedia Commons
Abilene, KS
Tien Nguyen
Trip Overview
The drive from Salina, KS to Abilene, KS covers 26.6 miles and takes about 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North 9th Street, North Buckeye Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.1 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.16 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 26.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m 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 32m drive with frequent turns across 26.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 8 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 22.1 miles.
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. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Iron Avenue.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Salina, KS to Abilene, KS is easy. At 32m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Iron Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North 9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese 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
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North 9th Street
Turn right onto North 9th Street
Navigation decision point
6
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 70 East: Topeka
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 70 East: Topeka
8
24.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward KS 15: Abilene, Clay Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 275
Toward KS 15: Abilene, Clay Center
4
25.1 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
KS 15 / North Buckeye Avenue
Turn right onto KS 15 / North Buckeye Avenue
Navigation decision point
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 Salina, KS to Abilene, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Clay Center along the way.
Clay Center
24.9 mi in
|
~28m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 22.1 mi | 22m |
| North 9th Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| North Buckeye Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| West Iron Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South 8th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 22.1 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Salina, KS and Abilene, 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
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
North 9th Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 70 East: Topeka
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 70; US 40
22 mi
·
22 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 275
Toward KS 15: Abilene, Clay Center
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto KS 15
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North Buckeye Avenue
8
Arrive at destination
KS 15
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.16 one way
$8.32 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.57 | $9.13 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.12 | $10.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.87 | $11.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.33 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.72 | $1.70 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Abilene, KS
Late night in Abilene on Saturday
Local time
5:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
54°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
27 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
32m 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 Salina, KS to Abilene, KS covers 26.6 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, North 9th Street, North Buckeye Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.3 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 $4.16 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 Salina, KS to Abilene, KS is easy. At 32m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Iron Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North 9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Salina, KS to Abilene, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Clay Center along the way.
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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