Origin
Scottsbluff, NE
Morning in Scottsbluff on Monday
Local time
7:00 AM
MDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Scottsbluff, NE to Atkinson, NE
Drive Time
6h 6m
Distance
309.4 mi
498 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$47
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 DC fast
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
5h 54m
★
6 AM
6h 7m
8 AM
6h 33m
10 AM
6h 16m
12 PM
6h 13m
3 PM
6h 17m
5 PM
6h 31m
8 PM
5h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Scottsbluff, NE
Diana GP
Trip Overview
The drive from Scottsbluff, NE to Atkinson, NE covers 309.4 miles and takes about 6h 6m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on State Highway 2, Highway 20, State Highway 7 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 88.4 miles on State Highway 2. At current regular gas prices, budget about $46.99 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
154.7 miles from Scottsbluff, NE
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 3h 4m into the drive .
Drive Character
This is a 6h 6m highway drive covering 309.4 miles, with most of the trip on State Highway 2 and Highway 20. The longest continuous stretch is about 88.4 miles on State Highway 2.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
State Highway 2 is the longest continuous segment at about 88.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Highway 2 and Highway 20. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 20th Street.
Route Complexity
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 6m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 8 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 20th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (US 26; N-71; N-92 / Highway 26): Lane positioning matters here; at 51.7 miles (West Kansas Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 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 20th Street
Turn left onto West 20th Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 26; N-71; N-92 / Highway 26
Turn right onto US 26; N-71; N-92 / Highway 26
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
51.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
|
West Kansas Street
Turn right onto West Kansas Street
Navigation decision point
4
262.2 mi into trip
|
~5h 9m in
|
US 20; N-7 / East 4th Street
Turn right onto US 20; N-7 / East 4th Street
Navigation decision point
4
309 mi into trip
|
~6h 5m in
|
North Main Street
Turn right onto North Main Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Highway 2 | 88.4 mi | 1h 44m |
| Highway 20 | 36.8 mi | 43m |
| State Highway 7 | 32 mi | 36m |
| Southeast 1st Street | 25.2 mi | 29m |
| US Highway 385 | 16.9 mi | 18m |
| Highway 2 | 16.5 mi | 19m |
| Highway 26 | 15.6 mi | 18m |
| N-91 | 15.1 mi | 17m |
Longest stretch:
State Highway 2
— 88.4 mi, about 1h 44m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Scottsbluff, NE and Atkinson, NE.
1
Start on Avenue C
54 ft
·
7 sec
·
Avenue C
2
Turn left onto West 20th Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
West 20th Street
3
Continue on East 20th Street
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
East 20th Street
4
Turn right onto US 26; N-71; N-92
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Highway 26
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Continue on US 26
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
US Highway 26
6
Continue on US 26
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
Heartland Expressway
7
Continue on L-62A
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
L62A
8
At end of road, turn left onto US 385
17 mi
·
18 min
·
US Highway 385
9
Continue on US 385
6.8 mi
·
7 min
·
South Highway 385
10
Turn right onto West Kansas Street
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
West Kansas Street
11
Turn right onto N-2
7.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Perkins Road
12
Continue on N-2
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
State Highway 2
13
Continue on N-2
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
·
1st Street
14
Continue on N-2
82 mi
·
1 hr 37 min
·
State Highway 2
15
Continue on N-2
25 mi
·
29 min
·
Southeast 1st Street
16
Continue on N-2
0.7 mi
·
44 sec
·
Court Street
17
Continue on N-2
17 mi
·
19 min
·
Highway 2
18
Continue on N-2
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Jewett Avenue
19
Turn left onto N-91
15 mi
·
17 min
·
N-91
20
Turn left onto N-7
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Highway 7
21
Continue on N-7
32 mi
·
36 min
·
State Highway 7
22
Continue on N-7
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
23
Turn right onto US 20; N-7
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
East 4th Street
24
Continue on US 20; N-7
8.5 mi
·
10 min
·
US Highway 20
25
Continue on US 20; US 183; N-7
37 mi
·
43 min
·
Highway 20
26
Continue on US 20
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
West 5th Street
27
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
28
Arrive at destination
North Main Street
Trip Plan
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 154.7 miles from Scottsbluff, NE, or about 3h 4m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 88.4 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 80 miles or 1h 35m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 154.7 miles or 3h 4m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 58m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Atkinson, NE than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Scottsbluff, NE 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 Scottsbluff, NE
This is one driving day of about 309.4 miles and 6h 6m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Scottsbluff, NE.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on State Highway 2 for about 88.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 154.7 mi from Scottsbluff, NE · 3h 4m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
155 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 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 154.7 miles from Scottsbluff, NE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before State Highway 2 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 88.4 miles.
Arriving in Atkinson, NE
The final approach into Atkinson, NE 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 Atkinson, NE.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$46.99 one way
$93.99 round trip
$3.86/gal
25.4 MPG avg
108 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $51.81 | $103.61 |
| premium | $4.80 | $58.41 | $116.82 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $68.74 | $137.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$47
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$72–$97
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 108.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
EV Charging Along Route
6 DC fast chargers · Coverage: good
NPPD EV STATION SB SINCLAIR DCN
Scottsbluff, NE
ChargePoint Network
1 DCFC
NPPD EV STATION SB SINCLAIR DCS
Scottsbluff, NE
ChargePoint Network
1 DCFC
CUSTERPPD THEDFORD 2 EAST
Thedford, NE
ChargePoint Network
1 DCFC
CUSTERPPD THEDFORD WEST
Thedford, NE
ChargePoint Network
1 DCFC
NPPD EV STATION ANSWRT CONO DCS
Ainsworth, NE
ChargePoint Network
1 DCFC
NPPD EV STATION ANSWRT CONO DCN
Ainsworth, NE
ChargePoint Network
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Network: 6
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $32 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 92.8 | 1 | $32.49 | $14.85 |
| Efficient EV | 77.4 | 0 | $27.07 | $12.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 123.8 | 1 | $43.32 | $19.80 |
Gas CO2
108 kg
EV CO2
36 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Atkinson, NE
Morning in Atkinson on Monday
Local time
8:00 AM
CDT
Current temp
41°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
1 hour later
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
1 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
6h 6m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Scottsbluff, NE to Atkinson, NE covers 309.4 miles and takes about 6h 6m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are State Highway 2, Highway 20, State Highway 7. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 154.7 miles from Scottsbluff, NE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $46.99 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 6m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 8 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 20th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (US 26; N-71; N-92 / Highway 26): Lane positioning matters here; at 51.7 miles (West Kansas Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Scottsbluff, NE to Atkinson, NE does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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