Origin
Elm Mills, KS
Late night in Elm Mills on Sunday
Local time
3:10 AM
CDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elm Mills, KS to Lake City, KS
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
15.6 mi
25 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 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elm Mills, KS
Dan Stone
Lake City, KS
yongbing li
Trip Overview
Elm Mills to Lake City is 15.6 miles and takes about 49 minutes via River Road and Mingona Road, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Great Plains region of Kansas, offering a straightforward drive. Expect a local feel throughout, making it an easy add-on to a larger trip or a quick excursion if you're nearby. With minimal driving time and a low fuel cost, this route is highly accessible.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| River Road | 7.3 mi | 17m |
| Mingona Road | 7.3 mi | 28m |
| Main Lake Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cleveland Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Northwest Elm Mills | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Highland Circle | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
River Road
— 7.3 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elm Mills, KS and Lake City, KS.
1
Start on Highland Circle
138 ft
·
9 sec
·
Highland Circle
2
Turn left onto Main Lake Road
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Main Lake Road
3
Continue on Main Lake Road
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Main Lake Road
4
Continue on Main Lake Road
196 ft
·
9 sec
·
Main Lake Road
5
Continue on Main Lake Road
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Main Lake Road
6
Turn left onto Northwest Elm Mills
152 ft
·
8 sec
·
Northwest Elm Mills
7
Turn right onto Mingona Road
7.3 mi
·
28 min
·
Mingona Road
8
Turn right
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
9
Turn straight onto River Road
7.3 mi
·
17 min
·
River Road
10
Continue on Main Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Main Street
11
Turn left onto Broad Street
401 ft
·
19 sec
·
Broad Street
12
Turn right onto Cleveland Street
163 ft
·
7 sec
·
Cleveland Street
13
Arrive at destination
Cleveland Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Main Lake Road
Turn left onto Main Lake Road
Navigation decision point
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Northwest Elm Mills
Turn left onto Northwest Elm Mills
Navigation decision point
3
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Mingona Road
Turn right onto Mingona Road
Navigation decision point
5
15.5 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
Broad Street
Turn left onto Broad Street
Navigation decision point
5
15.6 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
Cleveland Street
Turn right onto Cleveland Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.44 one way
$4.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.68 | $5.36 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.00 | $6.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.44 | $6.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Lake City, KS
Late night in Lake City on Sunday
Local time
3:10 AM
CDT
Current temp
87°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
33 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
49m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is characterized by its frequent turns, making it a more engaging experience than a typical highway cruise. You won't encounter any interstate driving here, with the entirety of the 15.6 miles on local roads like River Road and Mingona Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is 7.3 miles along River Road. The profile suggests a turn-heavy local drive, so keep your attention focused on navigating the various road changes as you make your way toward Lake City.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.3 mi on River Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 Main Lake Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 49m 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 (Main Lake Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Northwest Elm Mills): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Mingona Road): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 15.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.3 miles on River Road. 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 Lake Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Northwest Elm Mills): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Mingona Road): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lake City, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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