Origin
Tecumseh, KS
Afternoon in Tecumseh on Saturday
Local time
3:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tecumseh, KS to Junction City, KS
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 18m
Distance
71.7 mi
115 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 31m
10 AM
1h 23m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tecumseh, KS
Wikimedia Commons
Junction City, KS
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Tecumseh, KS to Junction City, KS is 71.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 18 minutes via Oakland Expressway and US 40, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward trip across Kansas. With a high highway share and a relatively short duration, it's a practical choice for a quick transfer or a day trip. Consider this route if you're looking for efficiency and don't need extensive stops along the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Expressway | 67.7 mi | 1h 10m |
| East 6th Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| US 40 | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Southeast Tecumseh Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Southeast 3rd Terrace | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| J Hill Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Jefferson Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Oakland Expressway
— 67.7 mi, about 1h 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tecumseh, KS and Junction City, KS.
1
Start on Southeast 3rd Terrace
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Southeast 3rd Terrace
2
At end of road, turn left onto Southeast Tecumseh Road
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Southeast Tecumseh Road
3
Turn right onto US 40
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
US 40
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Take the ramp onto US 40
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
US 40
5
Merge onto US 40; KS 4
68 mi
·
1 hr 10 min
·
Oakland Expressway
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward J Hill Road, Flinthills Boulevard
7
Turn right onto J Hill Road
292 ft
·
11 sec
·
J Hill Road
8
Turn left onto US 40 Business; KS 57
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
East 6th Street
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto North Jefferson Street
130 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Jefferson Street
10
Arrive at destination
North Jefferson Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 35.8 miles from Tecumseh, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Oakland Expressway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 67.7 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 70 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Southeast Tecumseh Road
At end of road, turn left onto Southeast Tecumseh Road
Navigation decision point
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 40
Turn right onto US 40
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 40; KS 4 / Oakland Expressway
Merge onto US 40; KS 4 / Oakland Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
69.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
Take the exit toward J Hill Road, Flinthills Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward J Hill Road, Flinthills Boulevard
5
70 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
US 40 Business; KS 57 / East 6th Street
Turn left onto US 40 Business; KS 57 / East 6th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.21 one way
$22.42 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
25 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $12.31 | $24.62 |
| premium | $4.89 | $13.80 | $27.60 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.83 | $31.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.5 | 0 | $7.53 | $3.44 |
| Efficient EV | 17.9 | 0 | $6.27 | $2.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.7 | 0 | $10.04 | $4.59 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% 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
Junction City, KS
Afternoon in Junction City on Saturday
Local time
3:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
53°F
Rossville, KS
36 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
22 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
1h 18m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This is a highway-focused drive, with 97% of the journey taking place on well-maintained roads. You'll experience a long, uninterrupted stretch of 67.7 miles on Oakland Expressway, which forms the bulk of the route. The drive is largely consistent, characterized by its speed and directness rather than winding byways or dramatic scenery changes. Expect a smooth, efficient experience as you cover the distance between these two Kansas towns.
97% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 67.7 mi on Oakland Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Oakland Expressway and East 6th Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Southeast Tecumseh Road.
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 18m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Southeast Tecumseh Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 40): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles (US 40; KS 4 / Oakland Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 18m. Total distance: 71.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 67.7 miles on Oakland Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Southeast Tecumseh Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 40): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles (US 40; KS 4 / Oakland Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Junction City, KS before heading back.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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