Origin
Villa Hills, KY
Morning in Villa Hills on Saturday
Local time
8:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Villa Hills, KY to Independence, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
11.4 mi
18 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Villa Hills, KY
Ahmet ÇÖTÜR
Independence, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 11.4-mile drive from Villa Hills to Independence, KY, is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 20 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with a small portion on highways, making the estimated fuel cost around $2. The route's character suggests a local, turn-heavy experience, so it's best suited for a quick trip rather than an overnight stay. Both your origin and destination are located within the Southeast region, keeping the journey geographically focused. Consider this a straightforward, local hop perfect for a quick errand or connection within Northern Kentucky.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 11.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (10%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for the majority of this trip. With only a 10% highway share, you'll be focused on navigating local streets like Madison Pike, Buttermilk Pike, and Orphanage Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.4 miles on Madison Pike. This isn't a high-speed journey; rather, it's about engaging with the local road network, making frequent turns and adjustments as you progress from Villa Hills to Independence.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Madison Pike is the longest continuous segment at about 5.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near KY 371 / Collins Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 20m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (KY 371 / Collins Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (KY 371 / Buttermilk Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371 / Dixie Highway): 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.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
KY 371 / Collins Road
Turn left onto KY 371 / Collins Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
KY 371 / Buttermilk Pike
Turn left onto KY 371 / Buttermilk Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371 / Dixie Highway
Turn left onto US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371 / Dixie Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
4.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
KY 17 / Madison Pike
Turn right onto KY 17 / Madison Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
10 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
KY 17 Business / Pelly Road
Turn right onto KY 17 Business / Pelly Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Madison Pike | 5.4 mi | 8m |
| Buttermilk Pike | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| Orphanage Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| KY 17 Business | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Collins Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Pelly Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Dixie Highway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Amsterdam Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Madison Pike
— 5.4 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Villa Hills, KY and Independence, KY.
1
Start on Amsterdam Road
31 ft
·
8 sec
·
Amsterdam Road
2
Turn left onto KY 371
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Collins Road
3
Turn left onto KY 371
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Buttermilk Pike
Use the left lane.
4
Turn left onto US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371
479 ft
·
15 sec
·
Dixie Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Turn right onto KY 371
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Orphanage Road
6
Turn right onto KY 17
5.4 mi
·
8 min
·
Madison Pike
Use the right lane.
7
Turn right onto KY 17 Business
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Pelly Road
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on KY 17 Business
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
KY 17 Business
9
Arrive at destination
KY 17 Business; KY 2045
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.78 one way
$3.56 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.96 | $3.91 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.19 | $4.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.52 | $5.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.20 | $0.55 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.00 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Independence, KY
Morning in Independence on Saturday
Local time
8:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°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
2 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
20m 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 Villa Hills, KY to Independence, KY covers 11.4 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Madison Pike, Buttermilk Pike, Orphanage Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.7 miles from Villa Hills, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.78 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.
This is a straightforward 20m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (KY 371 / Collins Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (KY 371 / Buttermilk Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.7 miles (US 25; US 42; US 127; KY 371 / Dixie Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Villa Hills, KY to Independence, KY 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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