How far is Frankfort, KY from Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The driving distance from Frankfort, KY to Lexington-Fayette, KY is about 30.5 miles (49.1 km), with a travel time of about 00h 36m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 24.9 miles (40 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 01h 13m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
30.5 mi
00h 36m
Flight
24.84 mi
39.98 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Frankfort.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
24.84 mi
Kilometers
39.98 km
Flight Time
00h 02m

Driving Distance

Road route
30.5 mi
Kilometers
49.08 km
Drive Time
00h 36m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 36m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Lexington-Fayette
Tue, May 26, 3:20 PM EDT
Return by in Frankfort
Tue, May 26, 3:56 PM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Frankfort
2026-05-26T14:43
Arrive Lexington-Fayette
Tue, May 26, 3:20 PM EDT
Route Timing
00h 36m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:37 AM to 7:37 PM EDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:16 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Frankfort
10:00 PM EDT
Flexible departure

This departure sits inside the recommended comfort window for the route.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Stamping Ground
KY

City in Scott County, Kentucky, United States of America

From Frankfort
14.7 mi
00h 18m
To Lexington-Fayette
15.8 mi
00h 18m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
81°F
Tuesday

Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Tue, May 26 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
1 to 5 mph S
Destination
76°F
Today

Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Tue, May 26 10:00 AM EDT
Wind
5 mph E

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Frankfort and Lexington-Fayette.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Frankfort and Lexington-Fayette.

  1. 1

    Start on Elk Alley

    8 m · 7 sec · Elk Alley

  2. 2

    Turn left onto Mero Street

    74 m · 14 sec · Mero Street

  3. 3

    Turn left onto Ann Street

    1421 ft · 38 sec · Ann Street

  4. 4

    Turn left onto West Main Street

    1.5 km · 2 min · West Main Street

  5. 5

    Turn right onto Martin Luther King Drive

    1.2 km · 1 min · Martin Luther King Drive

  6. 6

    Turn left onto East-West Connector

    1.9 mi · 3 min · East-West Connector

  7. 7

    Take the ramp slight right

    1246 ft · 19 sec

  8. 8

    Keep slight right

    78 m · 4 sec

  9. 9

    Merge slight left onto Versailles Road

    1.2 mi · 2 min · Versailles Road

  10. 10

    Turn left

    2099 ft · 53 sec

  11. 11

    Merge slight left

    20.5 mi · 22 min

  12. 12

    Take the exit slight right toward US 27, US 68: Paris, Lexington

    3139 ft · 1 min

  13. 13

    Turn right onto North Broadway

    1 mi · 2 min · North Broadway

  14. 14

    Turn left onto West New Circle Road

    1.4 mi · 3 min · West New Circle Road

  15. 15

    Turn right onto Floyd Drive

    937 ft · 27 sec · Floyd Drive

  16. 16

    Turn left

    560 ft · 41 sec

  17. 17

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Frankfort and Lexington-Fayette.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
17 steps
10 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
4
2 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
55.7 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Versailles Road
21.7 mi · 71%
East-West Connector
2.14 mi · 7%
West New Circle Road
1.42 mi · 5%
North Broadway
1.03 mi · 3%
West Main Street
0.91 mi · 3%
Martin Luther King Drive
0.73 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

Versailles Road

Merge slight left

20.5 mi · 00h 22m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 36m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
01h 14m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+5.6 mi
24.9 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Stamping Ground
00h 18m from Frankfort
Leave By
7:16 PM EDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Showers And Thunderstorms leaving Frankfort and Showers And Thunderstorms near Lexington-Fayette.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Frankfort to Lexington-Fayette?

The road trip is about 30.5 miles (49.1 km) and usually takes 00h 36m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Stamping Ground is a useful midpoint, sitting about 14.7 miles from Frankfort and 15.8 miles from Lexington-Fayette.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 24.9 miles (40 km), while the road route adds roughly 5.6 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:16 PM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $4.07 one way or $8.15 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 9.6 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Showers And Thunderstorms around Frankfort and Showers And Thunderstorms near Lexington-Fayette.

Stop Ideas Near Stamping Ground

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Stamping Ground, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Stamping Ground.

RAIL

Maysville

90 mi away
West Front St & Rosemary Clooney St
RAIL

Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal

93 mi away
1301 Western Ave.
BUS

Louisville, Kentucky

94 mi away
720 West Muhammad Ali Blvd.
BUS

Cincinnati, OH

94 mi away
1005 Gilbert Avenue

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Frankfort and Lexington-Fayette. Straight-line distance: 24.84 mi (39.98 km).

Frankfort

#1 Frankfort

County seat city in Franklin County, Kentucky, USA and Kentucky federated state capital city

Population27,715
Coordinates38.2009100, -84.8732800
Altitude155
CountryUnited States
Photo coming soon

#2 Lexington-Fayette

The most populous city in Kentucky and the center of the Lexington-Fayette metropolitan area.

Population314,488
Coordinates38.0498000, -84.4585500
Altitude305
CountryUnited States
Start: Elk Alley (-84.873307, 38.200921)
End: (-84.458548, 38.049815)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 49 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)01h 00m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 45m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 36m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 30m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 26m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 22m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
1.08 gal
4.07 L · about $4.07
Round trip
$8.15
2.16 gal · 8.14 L
Estimated CO2
9.6 kg one way
Round trip: 19.2 kg / 42 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.77 $4.07 $8.15
Mid-grade $4.25 $4.59 $9.19
Premium $4.65 $5.03 $10.05
Diesel $5.30 $5.73 $11.46

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Kentucky · May 26, 2026

There is no time difference between Frankfort and Lexington-Fayette. The current time is 14:43:16.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.