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Trip from Emporia, KS to Olpe, KS

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

Drive Time

16m

Distance

10.7 mi

17 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 15m ★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m

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

Best Time
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Downtown Emporia, KS, KS

Emporia, KS

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Olpe, KS, KS

Olpe, KS

Tien Nguyen

Trip Overview

Emporia, KS to Olpe, KS is 10.7 miles and takes about 16 minutes via South Commercial Street, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a very short trip connecting two points within the same region, the Great Plains. Expect a local drive with frequent turns, making it feel more like navigating through town than a traditional highway journey. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick hop, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your day.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South Commercial Street 10 mi 14m
Merchant Street 0.4 mi 1m
Iowa Street 0.2 mi <1m
West South Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
West Attendorn Street <0.1 mi <1m
West 5th Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: South Commercial Street — 10 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Emporia, KS and Olpe, KS.

1

Start on West 5th Avenue

59 ft · 4 sec · West 5th Avenue
2

Turn right onto Merchant Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Merchant Street
3

Turn left onto West South Avenue

367 ft · 13 sec · West South Avenue
4

Turn right onto KS 99

10.0 mi · 14 min · South Commercial Street
5

Turn left onto Iowa Street

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Iowa Street
6

Turn left onto West Attendorn Street

277 ft · 12 sec · West Attendorn Street
7

Arrive at destination

West Attendorn Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.7 — 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 | Merchant Street

Turn right onto Merchant Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | West South Avenue

Turn left onto West South Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | KS 99 / South Commercial Street

Turn right onto KS 99 / South Commercial Street

Navigation decision point

4
10.5 mi into trip | ~16m in | Iowa Street

Turn left onto Iowa Street

Navigation decision point

4
10.7 mi into trip | ~16m in | West Attendorn Street

Turn left onto West Attendorn Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.58 one way

$3.16 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $1.74 $3.49
premium $4.72 $1.99 $3.97
diesel $4.80 $2.02 $4.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.2 0 $1.12 $0.51
Efficient EV 2.7 0 $0.94 $0.43
EV Truck/SUV 4.3 0 $1.50 $0.68

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 Jun 30, 2026

Origin

Emporia, KS

Late night in Emporia on Monday

Local time

1:01 AM

CDT

Current temp

78°F

Partly Cloudy

S 15 to 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued June 29 at 10:14PM CDT until July 3 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill MO

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued June 29 at 6:00PM CDT until July 2 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Destination

Olpe, KS

Late night in Olpe on Monday

Local time

1:01 AM

CDT

Current temp

77°F

Partly Cloudy

S 20 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued June 29 at 10:14PM CDT until July 3 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill MO

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued June 29 at 6:00PM CDT until July 2 at 8:00PM 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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

16m 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?

This route is characterized by its "turn-heavy local drive" profile, with no highway driving at all. You'll navigate using main roads like South Commercial Street, Merchant Street, and Iowa Street. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 10 miles on South Commercial Street. The drive progresses by transitioning between these local thoroughfares, demanding your attention for frequent adjustments.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on South Commercial Street.

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 Merchant Street.

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 16m drive. You will face about 5 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 (Merchant Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West South Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (KS 99 / South Commercial Street): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,223 ft 1,101 ft

Total Climb

126 ft

Total Descent

73 ft

Highest Point

1,223 ft

~9.2 mi in

Elevation Range

122 ft

Detours Along the Way

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

Granada Coffee Company

Cafe

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Emporia, KS

Visit website

Java Cat Coffeehouse

Cafe

Near the start, right off the route

0.1 mi from route

Hours: Mo-Fr 07:00-20:00;Sa 08:00-20:00;Su 11:0...

Visit website

Starbucks

Cafe

Near the start, short detour

2.4 mi from route ~6 min detour

Emporia, KS

Cuisine: coffee_shop

Visit website

Jimmy John's

Fast_food

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Emporia, KS

Cuisine: sandwich

Visit website

Casa Ramos

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.1 mi from route

Emporia, KS

Cuisine: mexican

Hours: Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00

10 West Grill + Dive Bar

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour

Emporia, KS

Visit website

Casa Ramos (moved)

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.2 mi from route

Emporia, KS

Cuisine: mexican

Hours: Mo-Su 11:00-22:00

Hagaya Ramen Shop

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour

Emporia, KS

Cuisine: ramen

Visit website

China Dragon

Restaurant

Near the start, right off the route

0.5 mi from route ~1 min detour

Emporia, KS

Cuisine: chinese

Visit website

Lyon County Historical Museum

Museum

Near the start, right off the route

0.2 mi from route ~1 min detour

KS

Olpe Lions Club

Monument

Near the end, right off the route

17min in 0.2 mi from route

Site of old ATSF Depot

Monument

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

Civil War Memorial

Memorial

Near the start, right off the route

0.3 mi from route ~1 min detour

ATSF 1015

Railway

Near the start, right off the route

0.4 mi from route ~1 min detour

Old Ampitheatre

Yes

Near the start, right off the route

2min in 0.6 mi from route ~1 min detour

Budget Host Inn Emporia

Hotel

Near the start, short detour

1.7 mi from route ~4 min detour

Emporia

Visit website

La Quinta Inn

Hotel

Near the start, short detour

2.4 mi from route ~6 min detour

KS

Visit website

Motel 6

Motel

Near the start, short detour

2.1 mi from route ~5 min detour

Emporia, KS

Best Value Inn

Hotel

Near the start, short detour

2.1 mi from route ~5 min detour

Guesthouse Inn

Hotel

Near the start, short detour

2.2 mi from route ~5 min detour

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

About the Cities

Starting in Emporia, KS

Full guide →

Founded 1857

Emporia is a city in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. It is the county seat of Lyon County and the home of Emporia State University and William Allen White.

Top landmarks

  • • National Teachers Hall of Fame — American non-profit organization that honors exceptional school teachers
  • • Harris-Borman House — historic house in Kansas, United States
  • • Walt Mason House — in Emporia, Kansas, listed on the NRHP in Lyon County, Kansas

Arriving in Olpe, 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 16m. Total distance: 10.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

16m 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 10 miles on South Commercial Street. 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 (Merchant Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (West South Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (KS 99 / South Commercial Street): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Olpe, 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.

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