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Trip from Fontana, KS to Hillsdale, KS

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

39m

Distance

21 mi

34 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m

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 Fontana, KS, KS

Fontana, KS

Helena Jankovičová Kováčová

Downtown Hillsdale, KS, KS

Hillsdale, KS

Tien Nguyen

Trip Overview

Fontana, KS to Hillsdale, KS is 21 miles and takes about 39 minutes via US 169, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward drive. You'll mostly be on highways, making it a quick and easy transit between these two Kansas locations. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a spontaneous excursion or as a connecting leg to a larger journey.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 169 9.6 mi 10m
Hedge Lane 5.3 mi 12m
South Hospital Drive 2 mi 4m
West 327th Street 1.2 mi 2m
West 255th Street 0.8 mi 2m
West 383rd Street 0.5 mi 1m
Grant Street 0.4 mi 1m
North Osage Street 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: US 169 — 9.6 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Fontana, KS and Hillsdale, KS.

1

Start on Dorman Avenue

382 ft · 18 sec · Dorman Avenue
2

At end of road, turn right onto Dorman Avenue

0.2 mi · 50 sec · Dorman Avenue
3

Continue on North Osage Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · North Osage Street
4

Turn left onto West 383rd Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · West 383rd Street
5

Turn right onto Hedge Lane

3.8 mi · 9 min · Hedge Lane
6

Keep slight left at fork onto Hedge Lane

1.5 mi · 3 min · Hedge Lane
7

At end of road, turn left onto West 343rd Street

0.1 mi · 19 sec · West 343rd Street
8

Turn right onto South Hospital Drive

2.0 mi · 4 min · South Hospital Drive
9

Turn left onto West 327th Street

1.2 mi · 2 min · West 327th Street
10

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward US 169 North, KS 7 North: Paola
11

Merge onto US 169; K-7

9.6 mi · 10 min · US 169; K-7
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Use the slight right lane.
13

Turn left onto West 255th Street

0.8 mi · 2 min · West 255th Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14

Turn left onto Grant Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Grant Street
15

Turn sharp left onto Washington

293 ft · 12 sec · Washington
16

Arrive at destination

Washington

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 19.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Dorman Avenue

At end of road, turn right onto Dorman Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
6.4 mi into trip | ~16m in | West 343rd Street

At end of road, turn left onto West 343rd Street

Navigation decision point

5
9.7 mi into trip | ~24m in

Take the ramp toward US 169 North, KS 7 North: Paola

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 169 North, KS 7 North: Paola
5
10 mi into trip | ~25m in | US 169; K-7

Merge onto US 169; K-7

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
19.7 mi into trip | ~35m in | West 255th Street

Turn left onto West 255th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.10 one way

$6.20 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $3.42 $6.85
premium $4.72 $3.90 $7.80
diesel $4.80 $3.97 $7.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.3 0 $2.21 $1.01
Efficient EV 5.3 0 $1.84 $0.84
EV Truck/SUV 8.4 0 $2.94 $1.34

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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 29, 2026

Origin

Fontana, KS

Evening in Fontana on Monday

Local time

8:45 PM

CDT

Current temp

91°F

Mostly Sunny

S 17 to 21 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued June 29 at 7:56AM CDT until June 30 at 6:00AM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued June 29 at 7:43AM CDT until June 30 at 12:15PM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Destination

Hillsdale, KS

Evening in Hillsdale on Monday

Local time

8:45 PM

CDT

Current temp

92°F

Mostly Sunny

S 15 to 24 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued June 29 at 7:56AM CDT until June 30 at 6:00AM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued June 29 at 7:43AM CDT until June 30 at 12:15PM 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

39m 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 features a mixed drive profile, with 46% of the journey on highways. You'll experience a 9.6-mile stretch on US 169 without interruption, offering a consistent pace. The drive transitions between US 169, Hedge Lane, and South Hospital Drive, indicating a blend of main highway travel and local road navigation. Expect a straightforward driving experience without significant challenges or dramatic changes in scenery.

46% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.6 mi on US 169.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Dorman Avenue.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 21 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Dorman Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 6.4 miles (West 343rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 9.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

961 ft 844 ft

Total Climb

161 ft

Total Descent

209 ft

Highest Point

961 ft

~16.5 mi in

Elevation Range

118 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Fontana, KS

Full guide →

Founded 1889

Arriving in Hillsdale, 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 39m. Total distance: 21 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

39m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9.6 miles on US 169. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Hillsdale, KS before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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: at 0.1 miles (Dorman Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 6.4 miles (West 343rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 9.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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