The drive from Grand Island, NE to Crete, NE covers 91.3 miles and takes about 1h 43m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 80, Highway 33, 420th Road for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly highway.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 50.4 miles on I 80.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.33 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
45.6 miles from Grand Island, NE
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 50m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 80
50.4 mi
50m
Highway 33
11 mi
13m
420th Road
8.4 mi
9m
Highway 6
5.6 mi
6m
Highway 34
3.6 mi
4m
Highway 2
3.6 mi
4m
Highway 80E
3 mi
3m
South Stuhr Road
1.5 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 50.4 mi, about 50m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 28 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~896 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,287
Quietest
2 AM
~124 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 84 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Grand Island, NE and Crete, NE.
1
Start on West 3rd Street
401 ft·24 sec·West 3rd Street
2
Turn left onto North Walnut Street
0.3 mi·35 sec·North Walnut Street
3
Continue on N-2 Business
0.7 mi·1 min·South Locust Street
4
Turn left onto East Fonner Park Road
1.0 mi·1 min·East Fonner Park Road
5
At end of road, turn right onto South Stuhr Road
1.5 mi·2 min·South Stuhr Road
6
Turn left onto US 34; N-2; I 80 Alt
3.6 mi·4 min·Highway 34
7
Turn right onto N-2; I 80 Alt
3.6 mi·4 min·Highway 2
8
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·44 sec
Toward I 80 east
9
Merge onto I 80
50 mi·50 min·I 80
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·40 sec
Toward NE 80E Link: Beaver Crossing
11
Turn right onto L-80E
8.4 mi·9 min·420th Road
12
Continue on L-80E
3.0 mi·3 min·Highway 80E
13
Turn left onto US 6
1.0 mi·1 min·1st Street
14
Continue on US 6
5.6 mi·6 min·Highway 6
15
Turn right onto N-33
11 mi·13 min·Highway 33
16
Continue on N-33; N-103
0.2 mi·32 sec·West 13th Street
17
Turn left onto Main Avenue
0.2 mi·25 sec·Main Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
Main Avenue
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 45.6 miles from Grand Island, NE, or about 50m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 50.4 miles.
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 20 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 45.6 miles or 50m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Crete, NE than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Grand Island, NE so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Grand Island, NE
This is one driving day of about 91.3 miles and 1h 43m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Grand Island, NE.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 80 for about 50.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 91.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|North Walnut Street
Turn left onto North Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.2 mi into trip|~4m in|South Stuhr Road
At end of road, turn right onto South Stuhr Road
Navigation decision point
4
7.3 mi into trip|~11m in|N-2; I 80 Alt / Highway 2
Turn right onto N-2; I 80 Alt / Highway 2
Navigation decision point
5
10.9 mi into trip|~15m in
Take the ramp toward I 80 east
Navigation decision point
Toward I 80 east
5
91.1 mi into trip|~1h 43m in|Main Avenue
Turn left onto Main Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.33 one way
$28.66 round trip
$3.99/gal25.4 MPG avg32 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.39
$15.77
$31.55
premium
$5.00
$17.98
$35.96
diesel
$5.97
$21.45
$42.90
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$14
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$39–$64
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 31.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
27.4
0
$9.59
$4.38
Efficient EV
22.8
0
$7.99
$3.65
EV Truck/SUV
36.5
0
$12.78
$5.84
Gas CO2
32 kg
EV CO2
11 kg (66% 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 Sep 8, 2026
Origin
Grand Island, NE
Afternoon
in Grand Island on Wednesday
Local time
12:29 PM
CDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Crete, NE
Afternoon
in Crete on Wednesday
Local time
12:29 PM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
76°F
York, NE
46 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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
3 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
1h 43m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Homestead National Historical Park
National Historical Park
The Homestead Act of 1862 transformed the world. Millions were invited to file claims including families, women, immigrants, and formerly enslaved people. Over 10 percent of the United States was home...
24 mi from route
~61 min detour
Free
near mile 91.3
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
91.3 mi in 1h 43m, mostly highway — 50.4 mi of that is on I 80.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 50.4 mi on I 80.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and Highway 33. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North Walnut Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 43m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (South Stuhr Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles (N-2; I 80 Alt / Highway 2): Navigation decision point.
Grand Island is a city of 51,000 people (2019) in South Central Nebraska. Grand Island has been given the All-America City Award three times (1955, 1967, and 1981–82) by the National Civic League.
Top landmarks
•Shady Bend Gas Station, Grocery, and Diner — commercial building in Grand Island, Nebraska
•Hall County Courthouse — courthouse in Grand Island, Nebraska
•Oscar Roeser House — house in Grand Island, Nebraska, United States
The longest stretch is about 50.4 miles on I 80. 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.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through NE can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (South Stuhr Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles (N-2; I 80 Alt / Highway 2): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Homestead National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Crete, NE before heading back.
