Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 46m
Distance
301.1 mi
485 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$50
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Dodge, KS
Wikimedia Commons
Baldwin City, KS
Tom Fisk
Fort Dodge, KS to Baldwin City, KS is 301.1 miles and takes about 5h 46m via US 50 and I 35, with a fuel budget near $48 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward drive across Kansas. With nearly all of your travel on highways, it's a practical option for getting from point A to point B efficiently. You'll be covering over 300 miles, so plan for a solid block of driving time to complete it within a single day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
150.5 miles from Fort Dodge, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 57m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 50 | 217.2 mi | 4h 13m |
| I 35 | 61.1 mi | 1h 1m |
| US 59 | 11.4 mi | 13m |
| 117 Road | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| North 300 Road | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| US 400 | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Ames Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| 6th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~557 veh/hr typical · worst 805
Quietest
2 AM
~55 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Dodge, KS and Baldwin City, KS.
Start on this road
Turn right onto US 400
Turn sharp left onto 117 Road
Turn right onto US 50; US 56
Enter roundabout onto US 50
Continue on US 50
Keep slight left at fork onto US 50
Take the exit onto US 50
Enter roundabout onto US 50
Continue on US 50
Enter roundabout
Continue
Enter roundabout
Continue
Merge onto I 35
Take the exit onto US 59
Take the exit
Turn right onto US 56
Continue on US 56
Turn right onto CR 1055
Turn right onto High Street
Arrive at destination
Given the 5 hour 46 minute duration, departing in the morning from Fort Dodge is recommended to ensure you have ample daylight for the 301.1-mile drive. The route is mostly highway, so you can maintain a steady pace, but be aware of the 217.2-mile stretch on US 50 where services might be less frequent. Plan for at least one stop to break up the drive and refuel your vehicle, keeping the estimated $48 fuel cost in mind. Since this is a single-day trip, flexibility is key; you can adjust your departure time based on your schedule.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 66 miles or 1h 19m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 150.5 miles or 2h 57m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 47m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Baldwin City, KS than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Fort Dodge, KS so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Fort Dodge, KS
This is one driving day of about 301.1 miles and 5h 46m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
151 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 66 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 150.5 miles from Fort Dodge, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before US 50 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 217.2 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 223.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn sharp left onto 117 Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Keep slight left at fork onto US 50 toward I 135 North, US 50 East, US 81 North: Salina, Emporia
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit onto US 50 toward US 50: Peabody, Emporia
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Enter roundabout toward Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Enter roundabout toward I 35 North: Kansas City
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Regular Gas
$50.23 one way
$100.45 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $54.59 | $109.18 |
| premium | $5.26 | $62.34 | $124.68 |
| diesel | $6.18 | $73.25 | $146.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$50
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$75–$100
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 105.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $32 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 90.3 | 1 | $31.62 | $14.45 |
| Efficient EV | 75.3 | 0 | $26.35 | $12.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 120.4 | 1 | $42.15 | $19.27 |
Gas CO2
105 kg
EV CO2
35 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Fort Dodge on Monday
Local time
10:50 PM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Night in Baldwin City on Monday
Local time
10:50 PM
CDT
Current temp
40°F
Mostly Clear
54°F
Peabody, KS
151 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This route is almost entirely highway driving, with 97% of the 301.1 miles on major roads like US 50 and I 35. You'll experience a long stretch of 217.2 miles on US 50, which will likely feel like consistent, rural cruising. The transition to surface roads will be minimal, meaning most of your travel will be on high-speed thoroughfares with limited intersections.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 50 and I 35. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in near 117 Road.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 46m drive. You will face about 18 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles (117 Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 151.2 miles (US 50): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 153.9 miles (US 50): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
121 ft
Total Descent
1,549 ft
Highest Point
2,464 ft
Elevation Range
1,549 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Fort Dodge, KS and Baldwin City, KS, road signs point toward Emporia, Kansas City, Wichita and Topeka.
Emporia
Kansas City
Wichita
Topeka
Baldwin City is a city in Eastern Kansas in southern Douglas County where the soil is rich and wildlife is plentiful. Baldwin City is the home of the oldest college west of the Mississippi, and of wildflowers in profusion, some patches of the old prairie grasses, and some fine outdoor recreational resources reserved for public use.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 46m. Total distance: 301.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Straightforward navigation.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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