Hutchinson to Saint Francis is 301.6 miles and takes about 5h 45m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and KS 14, with a fuel budget near $45 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region of Kansas, offering a straightforward drive across the state. You'll spend most of your time on surface roads, making it a good option for a relaxed, single-day excursion. Plan for a day of rural cruising with minimal major highway time.
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
150.8 miles from Hutchinson, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 49m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
201.3 mi
3h 21m
KS 14
49.2 mi
59m
Commerce Road
29.9 mi
52m
15th Road
7.5 mi
10m
US 36
4.9 mi
6m
Nickerson Boulevard
3.4 mi
5m
KS 156
2.3 mi
3m
West 5th Avenue
1 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 201.3 mi, about 3h 21m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~459 veh/hr typical
· worst 769
Quietest
3 AM
~54 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 100 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 Hutchinson, KS and Saint Francis, KS.
1
Start on this road
62 ft·7 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto East 7th Avenue
0.1 mi·21 sec·East 7th Avenue
3
Turn left onto North Main Street
0.2 mi·28 sec·North Main Street
4
Turn right onto West 5th Avenue
1.0 mi·2 min·West 5th Avenue
5
Continue on Nickerson Boulevard
3.4 mi·5 min·Nickerson Boulevard
6
Continue on North Wilson Road
0.2 mi·23 sec·North Wilson Road
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·25 sec
Toward Lyons, K-14 NORTH, K-96 WEST
8
Merge onto KS 14; KS 96
49 mi·59 min·KS 14; KS 96
9
Turn right onto KS 156
2.3 mi·3 min·KS 156
10
Turn left onto KS 140
0.5 mi·1 min·15th Street
11
Turn right onto KS 14
7.5 mi·10 min·15th Road
12
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·22 sec
13
Merge onto I 70; US 40
201 mi·3 hr 21 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi·31 sec
Toward US 24 Business, KS 27, Sharon Springs, Saint Francis
15
Turn right onto US 24 Bus; KS 27
30 mi·52 min·Commerce Road
16
Turn left onto US 36; K-27
4.9 mi·6 min·US 36; K-27
17
Turn right onto RS 115
0.3 mi·51 sec·South Benton Street
18
Turn right onto Spencer Street
79 ft·3 sec·Spencer Street
19
Arrive at destination
Spencer Street
Trip Plan
For this 5-hour, 45-minute drive, starting in the morning is advisable to ensure you have ample daylight. With only one recommended stop and a mostly surface road profile, you have flexibility in pacing. Keep an eye on fuel, especially on the longer stretches where services might be less frequent. The initial 201.3 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway will be your primary highway segment before transitioning to more local roads.
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 150.8 miles from Hutchinson, KS, or about 2h 49m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 201.3 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 66 miles or 1h 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 150.8 miles or 2h 49m 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 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Saint Francis, KS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Hutchinson, 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 Hutchinson, KS
This is one driving day of about 301.6 miles and 5h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 66 miles from Hutchinson, 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 201.3 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 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 266.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|East 7th Avenue
Turn right onto East 7th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|North Main Street
Turn left onto North Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|West 5th Avenue
Turn right onto West 5th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
4.9 mi into trip|~9m in
Take the ramp toward Lyons, K-14 NORTH, K-96 WEST
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Lyons, K-14 NORTH, K-96 WEST
5
266.2 mi into trip|~4h 45m in
Take the exit toward US 24 Business, KS 27, Sharon Springs, Saint Francis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 24 Business, KS 27, Sharon Springs, S...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$47.39 one way
$94.78 round trip
$3.99/gal25.4 MPG avg106 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.35
$51.64
$103.28
premium
$4.71
$55.97
$111.95
diesel
$6.08
$72.18
$144.36
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$47
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$72–$97
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 105.5 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $32 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
90.5
1
$31.67
$14.48
Efficient EV
75.4
0
$26.39
$12.06
EV Truck/SUV
120.6
1
$42.22
$19.30
Gas CO2
106 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Oct 18, 2026
Origin
Hutchinson, KS
Afternoon
in Hutchinson on Sunday
Local time
4:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
41°F
Clear
S 9 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Saint Francis, KS
Afternoon
in Saint Francis on Sunday
Local time
4:22 PM
CDT
Current temp
38°F
Clear
S 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
58°F
Victoria, 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
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 45m 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 covers 301.6 miles, with 19% on highways. You'll spend the longest stretch, 201.3 miles, on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. After that, the drive shifts to surface roads like KS 14 and Commerce Road. Expect a predominantly rural feel with stretches of open road.
Only 19% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 201.3 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
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 East 7th Avenue.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 45m drive. You will face about 15 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 (East 7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West 5th Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
3,607 ft1,536 ft
Total Climb
2,091 ft
Total Descent
310 ft
Highest Point
3,607 ft
~280.1 mi in
Elevation Range
2,071 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Hutchinson, KS to Saint Francis, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Sharon Springs along the way.
The longest stretch is about 201.3 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 18 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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 18 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West 5th Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.8 hours each way, a round trip means 11.5 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Saint Francis, KS before the return drive.
