Origin
Shawnee, KS
Late night in Shawnee on Saturday
Local time
4:33 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Shawnee, KS to Carbondale, KS
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 26m
Distance
75 mi
121 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 20m
★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 40m
10 AM
1h 31m
12 PM
1h 30m
3 PM
1h 32m
5 PM
1h 39m
8 PM
1h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Shawnee, KS
Wikimedia Commons
Carbondale, KS
Tien Nguyen
Trip Overview
The drive from Shawnee, KS to Carbondale, KS covers 75 miles and takes about 1h 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on West 49th Terrace, Garnett Street, West 51st Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.73 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 75 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 26m 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 1h 26m drive with frequent turns across 75 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West 49th Terrace is one of the defining roads on this drive.
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.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Shawnee, KS to Carbondale, KS is easy. At 1h 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Shawnee, KS to Carbondale, KS is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West 49th Terrace | — | — |
| Garnett Street | — | — |
| West 51st Street | — | — |
| Quivira Drive | — | — |
| Quivira Lane | — | — |
| Holliday Drive | — | — |
| I 435 North | — | — |
| I 70 West | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
West 49th Terrace
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Shawnee, KS and Carbondale, KS.
1
Start on Bond Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Bond Street
2
Turn right onto West 49th Terrace
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
West 49th Terrace
3
Continue on Garnett Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Garnett Street
4
Turn right onto West 51st Street
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
West 51st Street
5
At the end of the road, turn right onto Quivira Drive
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Quivira Drive
6
Continue on Quivira Lane
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Quivira Lane
7
Turn right
56 ft
·
7 sec
8
Turn left onto Holliday Drive
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Holliday Drive
9
Turn left onto I 435 North
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
I 435 North
10
Merge slight left
4.8 mi
·
5 min
11
Take the exit slight right toward I 70 West: Topeka, Kansas Turnpike
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
I 70 West: Topeka, Kansas Turnpike
12
Merge slight left onto Kansas Turnpike
44 mi
·
44 min
·
Kansas Turnpike
13
Keep slight left to continue on Kansas Turnpike
6.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Kansas Turnpike
14
Take the exit slight right toward I 470 West, US 75: Topeka, Salina
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
I 470 West, US 75: Topeka, Salina
15
Continue on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Highway
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Highway
16
Take the exit slight right toward US 75 South
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
US 75 South
17
Keep slight left
509 ft
·
15 sec
18
Turn left onto Southwest Burlingame Road
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
Southwest Burlingame Road
19
Turn left onto Southwest 42nd Street
305 ft
·
13 sec
·
Southwest 42nd Street
20
Take the ramp right
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
21
Merge slight left
12 mi
·
12 min
22
Take the exit slight right
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
23
Turn right onto Main Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Main Street
24
Turn left onto South 4th Street
131 ft
·
6 sec
·
South 4th Street
25
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 37.5 mi from Shawnee, KS · 43m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
38 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 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 37.5 miles from Shawnee, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Carbondale, KS
The final approach into Carbondale, 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
$11.73 one way
$23.45 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $12.87 | $25.75 |
| premium | $4.89 | $14.43 | $28.87 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.56 | $33.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 26.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22.5 | 0 | $7.87 | $3.60 |
| Efficient EV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.56 | $3.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 30 | 0 | $10.50 | $4.80 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (65% 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
Carbondale, KS
Late night in Carbondale on Saturday
Local time
4:33 AM
CDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
74°F
Reno, KS
38 mi in
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
21 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 26m 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 Shawnee, KS to Carbondale, KS covers 75 miles and takes about 1h 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West 49th Terrace, Garnett Street, West 51st Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 37.5 miles from Shawnee, KS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.73 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 Shawnee, KS to Carbondale, KS is easy. At 1h 26m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Shawnee, KS to Carbondale, KS is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Shawnee, KS to Carbondale, 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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