Hays to Soldier is 217.8 miles and takes about 4h 2m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and KS 16, with a fuel budget near $34 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward drive across Kansas. Given the relatively short duration and modest fuel cost, it's a manageable one-day excursion. You'll spend most of your time on surface roads, so expect a more relaxed pace than a pure interstate cruise. This route is ideal if you're looking for a direct connection between two points without extensive detours.
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
108.9 miles from Hays, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 51m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
115.4 mi
1h 55m
KS 16
33.9 mi
42m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
27.7 mi
27m
Highway 13
14.6 mi
18m
KS 18
11.3 mi
12m
South Seth Child Road
5.6 mi
8m
E Road
4.8 mi
8m
State Highway 63
1 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 115.4 mi, about 1h 55m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~590 veh/hr typical
· worst 798
Quietest
3 AM
~63 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 52 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 Hays, KS and Soldier, KS.
Since this drive is only about 4 hours, you have flexibility with your departure time. Leaving Hays in the morning will get you to Soldier with plenty of daylight to spare. There's only one recommended stop, so plan for that to be your primary break point. With a fuel cost estimated at $34, you should be able to estimate your spending. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially as you move onto the surface roads, as service stations might be less frequent than on the interstate. This route is easily completed in a single day, allowing for a relaxed pace.
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 108.9 miles from Hays, KS, or about 1h 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 115.4 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 48 miles or 50m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 108.9 miles or 1h 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 10m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Soldier, KS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Hays, 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 Hays, KS
This is one driving day of about 217.8 miles and 4h 2m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 miles from Hays, KS.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for about 115.4 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 17
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 162.2 — 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|Main Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|West 27th Street
Turn right onto West 27th Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.6 mi into trip|~3m in|US 183 / North Vine Street
Enter roundabout onto US 183 / North Vine Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
7
156.5 mi into trip|~2h 41m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
162.2 mi into trip|~2h 49m in|US 24 / Tuttle Creek Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto US 24 / Tuttle Creek Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.16 one way
$64.33 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg76 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$35.51
$71.02
premium
$4.72
$40.44
$80.88
diesel
$4.80
$41.12
$82.25
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 76.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
65.3
0
$22.87
$10.45
Efficient EV
54.5
0
$19.06
$8.71
EV Truck/SUV
87.1
1
$30.49
$13.94
Gas CO2
76 kg
EV CO2
25 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Hays, KS
Late night
in Hays on Sunday
Local time
1:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
95°F
Mostly Sunny
SE 3 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Soldier, KS
Late night
in Soldier on Sunday
Local time
1:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
90°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 5 mph18% chanceLive forecast
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
5 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
4h 2m on the road
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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a mix of highway and surface roads, with 28% on highways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 115.4 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway before transitioning to KS 16 and other surface roads. Expect a transition from potentially faster highway cruising to more rural, lower-speed driving. Pay attention as you leave the primary highway, as the profile is mostly surface roads for the remainder of the trip.
Only 28% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
31 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 115.4 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 around 0.1 miles in near Main Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 2m drive. You will face about 17 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 (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (West 27th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (US 183 / North Vine Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Hays is a town of 21,000 people (2021) in the Western region of Kansas. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, and the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University.
Top landmarks
•St. Joseph's Church and Parochial School — church building in Kansas, United States of America
•Justus Bissing Jr. Historic District — historic district in Kansas, United States
The longest stretch is about 115.4 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 17 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (West 27th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (US 183 / North Vine Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Possible but tiring. At 4.0 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.1 hours — manageable with a long break at Soldier, KS, but most travelers stay overnight.
