How far is Lexington, KS from Kansas City, KS?

The driving distance from Lexington, KS to Kansas City, KS is about 343.4 miles (552.6 km), with a travel time of about 05h 21m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 297.8 miles (479.2 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 10h 42m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM CDT.
Trip Tools

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.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
343.38 mi
05h 21m
Flight
297.76 mi
479.2 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Lexington.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
297.76 mi
Kilometers
479.2 km
Flight Time
00h 35m

Driving Distance

Road route
343.38 mi
Kilometers
552.61 km
Drive Time
05h 21m

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 05h 21m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Kansas City
Sat, May 30, 11:30 PM CDT
Return by in Lexington
Sun, May 31, 4:51 AM CDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Lexington
2026-05-30T18:08
Arrive Kansas City
Sat, May 30, 11:30 PM CDT
Route Timing
05h 21m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 8:00 AM CDT
Leave early for more breathing room
Arrive between
11:21 AM to 1:21 PM CDT

An early departure helps you fit a real stop into the day without turning the return into a late-night drive.

Leave by
6:18 AM CDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 04h 00m at the destination.
Back in Lexington
9:00 PM CDT
Early departure recommended

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.

Mid-route stop
Towanda
KS

Township in Butler County, Kansas

From Lexington
171.7 mi
02h 40m
To Kansas City
171.7 mi
02h 40m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
95°F
This Afternoon

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Sat, May 30 4:00 PM CDT
Wind
16 mph S
Destination
82°F
This Afternoon

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Starts
Sat, May 30 2:00 PM CDT
Wind
10 mph SE

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Lexington and Kansas City.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lexington and Kansas City.

  1. 1

    Start on Old Highway 34

    2.1 mi · 5 min · Old Highway 34

  2. 2

    At the end of the road, turn right onto State Highway 34

    17 mi · 25 min · State Highway 34

  3. 3

    Continue on South Main Street

    2978 ft · 52 sec · South Main Street

  4. 4

    At the end of the road, turn right onto The Yellow Brick Road

    18.9 mi · 22 min · The Yellow Brick Road

  5. 5

    Continue on West Kansas Avenue

    1.3 mi · 3 min · West Kansas Avenue

  6. 6

    Continue on Cannonball Stageline

    28.7 mi · 33 min · Cannonball Stageline

  7. 7

    Continue on West 1st Street

    3.1 mi · 7 min · West 1st Street

  8. 8

    Continue on Cannonball Stageline

    31.5 mi · 35 min · Cannonball Stageline

  9. 9

    Continue on D Avenue

    2.4 mi · 5 min · D Avenue

  10. 10

    Continue on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway

    49.7 mi · 58 min · Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway

  11. 11

    Take the exit slight right toward I 35: Kansas Turnpike Toll, Kansas City, Oklahoma City

    137 m · 11 sec

  12. 12

    Keep slight left

    1.4 km · 2 min

  13. 13

    Merge slight left onto Kansas Turnpike

    74.7 mi · 1 hr 15 min · Kansas Turnpike

  14. 14

    Keep slight left to continue on Kansas Turnpike

    110.7 mi · 1 hr 52 min · Kansas Turnpike

  15. 15

    Keep slight right to continue on I 70 East, US 24 East, US 40 East, US 69 North: Saint Louis

    1600 ft · 25 sec

  16. 16

    Take the exit slight right toward US 69 North, US 169 South

    943 ft · 21 sec

  17. 17

    Turn left onto South 7th Street Trafficway

    1.5 mi · 4 min · South 7th Street Trafficway

  18. 18

    Turn left onto Armstrong Avenue

    86 m · 18 sec · Armstrong Avenue

  19. 19

    Turn left

    45 m · 11 sec

  20. 20

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Lexington and Kansas City.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Long-distance drive

This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.

Directions
20 steps
8 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
3
1 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
5.8 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Kansas Turnpike
185 mi · 54%
Cannonball Stageline
60.2 mi · 18%
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
49.7 mi · 14%
The Yellow Brick Road
18.9 mi · 5%
State Highway 34
17 mi · 5%
West 1st Street
3.12 mi · 1%
Longest Stretch

Kansas Turnpike

Keep slight left to continue on Kansas Turnpike

111 mi · 01h 52m

Route Summary

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

Trip Read

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.

Drive Time
05h 21m
Long day trip
Same-Day Return
10h 42m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+45.6 mi
297.8 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Towanda
02h 40m from Lexington
Leave By
6:18 AM CDT
Early departure recommended
Weather Watch

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms leaving Lexington and Chance Showers And Thunderstorms near Kansas City.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Lexington to Kansas City?

The road trip is about 343.4 miles (552.6 km) and usually takes 05h 21m 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?

Towanda is a useful midpoint, sitting about 171.7 miles from Lexington and 171.7 miles from Kansas City.

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

The direct path is about 297.8 miles (479.2 km), while the road route adds roughly 45.6 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 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM CDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 6:18 AM CDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $45.70 one way or $91.41 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 107.7 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms around Lexington and Chance Showers And Thunderstorms near Kansas City.

Stop Ideas Near Towanda

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

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Towanda, 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 Towanda.

RAIL

Newton

41 mi away
414 North Main St.
RAIL

Hutchinson

87 mi away
North Walnut St & East 3rd Ave

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Lexington and Kansas City. Straight-line distance: 297.76 mi (479.2 km).

Photo coming soon

#1 Lexington

Human settlement in United States of America

Population1,414
Coordinates37.2939100, -99.5995700
Altitude612
CountryUnited States
Kansas City

#2 Kansas City

The second most populous city in Kansas.

Population152,960
Coordinates39.1141700, -94.6274600
Altitude266
CountryUnited States
Start: Old Highway 34 (-99.599571, 37.293709)
End: Armstrong Avenue (-94.627458, 39.114578)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 553 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)11h 26m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)08h 35m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)06h 52m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)05h 43m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)04h 54m
80 mph (129 km/h)04h 17m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
12.12 gal
45.87 L · about $45.70
Round trip
$91.41
24.24 gal · 91.74 L
Estimated CO2
107.7 kg one way
Round trip: 215.4 kg / 475 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.77 $45.70 $91.41
Mid-grade $4.25 $51.55 $103.09
Premium $4.65 $56.41 $112.81
Diesel $5.30 $64.28 $128.57

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 Kansas · May 30, 2026

There is no time difference between Lexington and Kansas City. The current time is 18:08:54.

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.