Origin
Seward, KS
Afternoon in Seward on Friday
Local time
12:42 PM
CDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Seward, KS to Macksville, KS
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
30 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Seward, KS
Rik Mar
Macksville, KS
Matt Webster
Trip Overview
The drive from Seward, KS to Macksville, KS covers 30 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 281, US 50, Northwest 140th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14 miles on US 281. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.69 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 30 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 40m highway drive covering 30 miles, with most of the trip on US 281 and US 50. The longest continuous stretch is about 14 miles on US 281.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 281 is the longest continuous segment at about 14 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 281 and US 50. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in near KS 19 / Northwest 140th Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Seward, KS to Macksville, KS is easy. At 40m with 90% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles (KS 19 / Northwest 140th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles (US 281): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles (US 50): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
KS 19 / Northwest 140th Street
Turn left onto KS 19 / Northwest 140th Street
Navigation decision point
4
3.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 281
Turn right onto US 281
Navigation decision point
4
17.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
US 50
Enter roundabout onto US 50
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
30 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
West Poling Street
Turn left onto West Poling Street
Navigation decision point
5
30 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 281 | 14 mi | 18m |
| US 50 | 12.1 mi | 13m |
| Northwest 140th Street | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| KS 219 | 1 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Poling Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 281
— 14 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Seward, KS and Macksville, KS.
1
Start on Main Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
2
Continue on KS 219
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
KS 219
3
Turn left onto KS 19
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Northwest 140th Street
4
Turn right onto US 281
14 mi
·
18 min
·
US 281
5
Enter roundabout onto US 50
31 ft
·
0 sec
·
US 50
6
Continue on US 50
12 mi
·
13 min
·
US 50
7
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
North Main Street
8
Turn left onto West Poling Street
208 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Poling Street
9
Turn right
71 ft
·
5 sec
10
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.69 one way
$9.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.15 | $10.30 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.77 | $11.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.62 | $13.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.20 | $1.92 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (60% 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
Macksville, KS
Afternoon in Macksville on Friday
Local time
12:42 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°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
18 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
40m 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 Seward, KS to Macksville, KS covers 30 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 281, US 50, Northwest 140th 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 15 miles from Seward, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.69 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 Seward, KS to Macksville, KS is easy. At 40m with 90% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles (KS 19 / Northwest 140th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles (US 281): Navigation decision point; at 17.8 miles (US 50): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Seward, KS to Macksville, 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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