Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Bluff City, KS to Harper, KS

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

46m

Distance

24.5 mi

39 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Sparse

1 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 42m ★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Bluff City, KS, KS

Bluff City, KS

Tom Fisk

city in Kansas, USA

Harper, KS

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick excursion through the heart of the Great Plains, this 24.5-mile journey from Bluff City to Harper, Kansas, is a straightforward option. Expect to spend about 46 minutes behind the wheel as you navigate the local roads connecting these two towns. Because the drive is short, it is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, leaving you plenty of time to explore your destination. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $4, it is an economical way to travel between these Kansas communities. Since the entire route remains within the Great Plains region, you can count on a consistent landscape throughout your transit.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
KS 44 9.1 mi 15m
North Ll & G Avenue 8.9 mi 14m
Southeast 90 Avenue 5 mi 12m
West 14th Street 0.8 mi 1m
Main Street 0.3 mi <1m
Central Street 0.2 mi <1m
US 160 0.1 mi <1m
Central Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: KS 44 — 9.1 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bluff City, KS and Harper, KS.

1

Start on Central Avenue

103 ft · 9 sec · Central Avenue
2

Turn left onto Main Street

0.3 mi · 49 sec · Main Street
3

Continue on Southeast 90 Avenue

5.0 mi · 12 min · Southeast 90 Avenue
4

Turn left onto KS 44

9.1 mi · 15 min · KS 44
5

Turn right onto KS 2

8.9 mi · 14 min · North Ll & G Avenue
6

Keep slight left at fork onto US 160; KS 2

0.1 mi · 13 sec · US 160; KS 2
7

Turn right onto US 160; KS 2

0.8 mi · 1 min · West 14th Street
8

Turn left onto Central Street

0.2 mi · 38 sec · Central Street
9

Turn right onto East Main Street

28 ft · 1 sec · East Main Street
10

Arrive at destination

East Main Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 24.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Main Street

Turn left onto Main Street

Navigation decision point

4
5.4 mi into trip | ~13m in | KS 44

Turn left onto KS 44

Navigation decision point

4
14.4 mi into trip | ~29m in | KS 2 / North Ll & G Avenue

Turn right onto KS 2 / North Ll & G Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
23.3 mi into trip | ~43m in | US 160; KS 2

Keep slight left at fork onto US 160; KS 2

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
24.5 mi into trip | ~46m in | East Main Street

Turn right onto East Main Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.62 one way

$7.24 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $3.99 $7.99
premium $4.72 $4.55 $9.10
diesel $4.80 $4.63 $9.25

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.4 0 $2.57 $1.18
Efficient EV 6.1 0 $2.14 $0.98
EV Truck/SUV 9.8 0 $3.43 $1.57

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (67% 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.

Forecast as of Jul 20, 2026

Origin

Bluff City, KS

Late night in Bluff City on Monday

Local time

1:26 AM

CDT

Current temp

75°F

Mostly Clear

SSE 5 mph 7% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 19 at 3:18PM CDT until July 20 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Dodge City KS

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 19 at 2:16PM CDT until July 20 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Destination

Harper, KS

Late night in Harper on Monday

Local time

1:26 AM

CDT

Current temp

76°F

Mostly Clear

SSE 6 mph 6% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 19 at 3:18PM CDT until July 20 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Dodge City KS

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 19 at 2:16PM CDT until July 20 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

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

1 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

46m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

Forget about monotonous interstate cruising; this route is a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention. You will be navigating a mix of Main Street, Southeast 90 Avenue, and North Ll & G Avenue rather than high-speed thoroughfares. With 0% highway share, the path relies entirely on local roads, creating a driving experience that feels intimate and quiet. Because the entire 24.5-mile distance is navigated on local surface streets, you should prepare for a slower, more deliberate pace. Expect a consistent, winding rhythm as you move between these two points in the Kansas plains.

38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.1 mi on KS 44.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Main Street.

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 46m drive. You will face about 7 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 (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles (KS 44): Navigation decision point; at 14.4 miles (KS 2 / North Ll & G Avenue): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,429 ft 1,212 ft

Total Climb

258 ft

Total Descent

77 ft

Highest Point

1,429 ft

~22.7 mi in

Elevation Range

217 ft

Detours Along the Way

Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.

Kristy's Kafe

Cafe

Around the midpoint, right off the route

26min in 0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour

Hours: Tu-Sa 11:00-20:00

Higher Grounds & Leather Bounds

Cafe

Around the midpoint, right off the route

26min in 0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour

Red Rooster Cafe

Restaurant

Near the end, right off the route

46min in 0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour

Former location of Rock Island depot

Yes

Around the midpoint, right off the route

26min in 0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour

Freeport School 1955-1970

School

Early in the drive, short detour

10min in 3.3 mi from route ~8 min detour

Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.

About the Cities

Starting in Bluff City, KS

Full guide →

Arriving in Harper, KS

Full guide →

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 24.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

46m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (38%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9.1 miles on KS 44. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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: near the start (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles (KS 44): Navigation decision point; at 14.4 miles (KS 2 / North Ll & G Avenue): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Harper, KS before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

More trips to Harper, KS

Attica, KS 14.5 mi Anthony, KS 10.6 mi Danville, KS 7.8 mi
Scenic drives in KS

Explore more options from Bluff City, KS or browse trips ending in Harper, KS.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse KS road trips.