How far is Independence, KY from Columbia, KY?
The driving distance from Independence, KY to Columbia, KY is about 165.8 miles (266.8 km), with a travel time of about 03h 17m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 133.7 miles (215.2 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 06h 35m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM EDT.
Reverse, save, or send this route
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
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 03h 17m.
An early departure helps you fit a real stop into the day without turning the return into a late-night drive.
You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.
Halfway Point
A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.
4th-class city in Anderson County, Kentucky, in the United States
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Mostly Sunny
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between Independence and Columbia.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Independence and Columbia.
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1
Start on Madison Pike
1.3 mi · 3 min · Madison Pike
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2
Turn right
1.3 mi · 2 min
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3
Turn right onto Walton Nicholson Pike
4.1 mi · 6 min · Walton Nicholson Pike
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4
Continue on Walton Nicholson Road
2119 ft · 38 sec · Walton Nicholson Road
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5
Turn right onto Dixie Highway
3210 ft · 54 sec · Dixie Highway
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6
Continue on North Main Street
2298 ft · 1 min · North Main Street
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7
Turn right onto Old Beaver Road
875 ft · 24 sec · Old Beaver Road
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8
Continue on Stephenson Mill Road
1317 ft · 36 sec · Stephenson Mill Road
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9
Keep slight left to continue on School Road
2514 ft · 1 min · School Road
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10
Turn right onto Mary Grubbs Highway
1859 ft · 42 sec · Mary Grubbs Highway
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11
Take the ramp left toward I 75 South: Lexington
1302 ft · 32 sec
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12
Merge slight left onto I 75 South: Lexington
41.7 mi · 45 min
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13
Take the exit slight right toward KY 620: Cherry Blossom Way
1438 ft · 35 sec
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14
Turn right onto Cherry Blossom Way
2829 ft · 39 sec · Cherry Blossom Way
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15
Continue on McClelland Circle
4.3 mi · 5 min · McClelland Circle
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16
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward McClelland Circle
57 m · 4 sec · McClelland Circle
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17
Exit the roundabout onto McClelland Circle
2.6 mi · 3 min · McClelland Circle
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18
Continue on Mc Clelland Circle
1 mi · 1 min · Mc Clelland Circle
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19
Turn right onto Paynes Depot Road
3 mi · 4 min · Paynes Depot Road
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20
Take the exit slight right
2421 ft · 59 sec
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21
Merge slight left
3 mi · 3 min
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22
Take the exit slight right toward Midway, Versailles
1558 ft · 38 sec
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23
Turn slight left
34 m · 7 sec
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24
Turn left onto Georgetown Road
1029 ft · 21 sec · Georgetown Road
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25
At the end of the road, turn right onto East Leestown Road
1147 ft · 25 sec · East Leestown Road
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26
Turn left onto Midway Road
2566 ft · 43 sec · Midway Road
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27
Continue on North Winter Street
1918 ft · 33 sec · North Winter Street
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28
Continue on Versailles Road
2097 ft · 35 sec · Versailles Road
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29
Continue on Midway Road
5.8 mi · 9 min · Midway Road
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30
At the end of the road, turn left onto Frankfort Road
1017 ft · 19 sec · Frankfort Road
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31
Turn slight right onto Frankfort Street
1.3 km · 1 min · Frankfort Street
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32
Continue on North Main Street
1.4 mi · 2 min · North Main Street
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33
Continue on Troy Pike
1.1 km · 1 min · Troy Pike
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34
Take the ramp slight right
2384 ft · 58 sec
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35
Merge slight left onto Bluegrass Parkway
26.2 mi · 28 min · Bluegrass Parkway
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36
Take the exit slight right toward KY 555: Springfield, Lebanon
1779 ft · 46 sec
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37
Turn left onto Triple 5 Highway
13.3 mi · 15 min · Triple 5 Highway
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38
Keep slight left
29 m · 2 sec
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39
Keep slight right to continue on Triple 5 Highway
1.4 mi · 2 min · Triple 5 Highway
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40
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Western Bypass
43 m · 3 sec · Western Bypass
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41
Exit the roundabout onto Western Bypass
1.7 mi · 2 min · Western Bypass
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42
Continue on Lebanon Road
2.8 mi · 3 min · Lebanon Road
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43
Continue on Springfield Road
2.8 mi · 3 min · Springfield Road
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44
Turn right onto Veterans Memorial Highway
1.4 km · 1 min · Veterans Memorial Highway
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45
Turn left
28 m · 3 sec
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46
Turn right
131 m · 6 sec
-
47
Continue on Veterans Memorial Highway
1 mi · 1 min · Veterans Memorial Highway
-
48
Turn slight right
66 m · 3 sec
-
49
Turn left
40 m · 2 sec
-
50
Keep slight right
60 m · 2 sec
-
51
Turn straight onto Veterans Memorial Highway
1.2 mi · 1 min · Veterans Memorial Highway
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52
Turn right onto Campbellsville Road
1.2 km · 54 sec · Campbellsville Road
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53
Continue on Jane Todd Crawford Trail
1.6 km · 1 min · Jane Todd Crawford Trail
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54
Continue on Campbellsville Road
2.4 mi · 3 min · Campbellsville Road
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55
Continue on New Campbellsville Road
5.3 mi · 6 min · New Campbellsville Road
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56
Continue on New Lebanon Road
6.1 mi · 7 min · New Lebanon Road
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57
Continue on East Broadway Street
1.7 mi · 2 min · East Broadway Street
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58
Continue on West Broadway
1646 ft · 21 sec · West Broadway
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59
Continue on Greensburg Road
2818 ft · 44 sec · Greensburg Road
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60
Turn left onto New Columbia Road
10.3 mi · 12 min · New Columbia Road
-
61
Continue on Campbellsville Road
7.3 mi · 9 min · Campbellsville Road
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62
Continue on Campbellsville Street
2470 ft · 44 sec · Campbellsville Street
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63
Enter the roundabout toward Public Square
43 m · 2 sec · Public Square
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64
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · Public Square
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between Independence and Columbia.
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.
I 75 South
Merge slight left onto I 75 South: Lexington
41.7 mi · 00h 45m
Route Summary
A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.
A longer out-and-back drive
This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms leaving Independence and Mostly Sunny near Columbia.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from Independence to Columbia?
The road trip is about 165.8 miles (266.8 km) and usually takes 03h 17m in normal driving conditions.
Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?
This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.
What is the halfway point on this route?
Lawrenceburg is a useful midpoint, sitting about 83 miles from Independence and 82.8 miles from Columbia.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 133.7 miles (215.2 km), while the road route adds roughly 32.1 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 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 10:24 AM EDT.
How much will gas cost for this route?
Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $22.06 one way or $44.12 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 52 kg one way.
Do you cross a time zone on this route?
Yes. There is about a 1 hour time difference between Independence and Columbia, so arrival and return times should be read in local time.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms around Independence and Mostly Sunny near Columbia.
Stop Ideas Near Lawrenceburg
Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.
Transit and Meeting Points
Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Lawrenceburg.
Louisville, Kentucky
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between Independence and Columbia. Straight-line distance: 133.74 mi (215.24 km).
#1 Independence
City in Kentucky
| Population | 28,903 |
| Coordinates | 38.9431200, -84.5441100 |
| Altitude | 274 |
| Country | United States |
#2 Columbia
City in Adair County, Kentucky, United States
| Population | 4,902 |
| Coordinates | 37.1028400, -85.3063500 |
| Altitude | 228 |
| Country | United States |
End: Columbia (-85.30635, 37.10284)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 267 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 05h 31m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 04h 08m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 03h 18m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 02h 45m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 02h 22m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 02h 04m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $3.77 | $22.06 | $44.12 |
| Mid-grade | $4.25 | $24.88 | $49.76 |
| Premium | $4.65 | $27.23 | $54.45 |
| Diesel | $5.30 | $31.03 | $62.06 |
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 · Apr 16, 2026
Distance to Other Cities
Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.