Hutchinson to Ulysses is 200.6 miles and takes about 4h 13m via US 50, US 56, and US 160, with a fuel budget near $31 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region of Kansas for its entirety. You'll be spending most of your time on the highway, making for a straightforward drive. With only one recommended stop and a duration under five hours, this route is easily manageable as a single-day trip.
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
100.3 miles from Hutchinson, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 59m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 50
108 mi
2h 4m
US 56
39.5 mi
47m
US 160
27 mi
35m
CR EE
16.6 mi
29m
West Illinois Avenue
2.8 mi
3m
West Blanchard Avenue
2 mi
3m
North Main Street
1.5 mi
3m
Blanchard Road Southwest
1.2 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
US 50
— 108 mi, about 2h 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hutchinson, KS and Ulysses, 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
0.7 mi·1 min·North Main Street
4
Turn right onto West Avenue A
0.2 mi·29 sec·West Avenue A
5
Turn right
0.3 mi·49 sec
6
Continue on Woodie Seat Freeway
0.8 mi·1 min·Woodie Seat Freeway
7
Continue on North Main Street
0.8 mi·1 min·North Main Street
8
Turn right onto West Blanchard Avenue
2.0 mi·3 min·West Blanchard Avenue
9
Continue on Blanchard Road Southwest
1.2 mi·1 min·Blanchard Road Southwest
10
Turn left onto South Mohawk Road
0.2 mi·21 sec·South Mohawk Road
11
Turn right onto US 50; KS 61
2.8 mi·3 min·West Illinois Avenue
12
Keep slight left at fork onto US 50
40 mi·45 min·US 50
13
Enter roundabout onto US 50
176 ft·2 sec·US 50
14
Continue on US 50
68 mi·1 hr 18 min·US 50
15
Turn left onto US 56; US 283
3.1 mi·3 min·US 56; US 283
16
Turn left onto US 56; US 283
3.9 mi·4 min·US 56; US 283
17
Keep slight right at fork onto US 56; US 283; US 400
0.2 mi·10 sec·US 56; US 283; US 400
18
Turn straight onto US 56; US 400
32 mi·38 min·US 56; US 400
19
Turn right onto CR EE; KS 144
17 mi·29 min·CR EE; KS 144
20
Continue on US 160
27 mi·35 min·US 160
21
Turn right onto South Missouri Street
0.3 mi·48 sec·South Missouri Street
22
Turn left onto East Grant Avenue
302 ft·15 sec·East Grant Avenue
23
Turn right onto North Court Street
226 ft·9 sec·North Court Street
24
Arrive at destination
North Court Street
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 13m estimated drive time, leaving Hutchinson in the morning will allow you to reach Ulysses with plenty of daylight remaining. Plan for your single stop strategically along the route to break up the drive, perhaps around the halfway point. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 108-mile stretch on US 50, as services might be more spaced out in certain sections. Since this is a single-day trip, you have flexibility with your departure time and can adjust your schedule as needed.
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 100.3 miles from Hutchinson, KS, or about 1h 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 108 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 44 miles or 54m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 100.3 miles or 1h 59m 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 20m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ulysses, 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 200.6 miles and 4h 13m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 44 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 US 50 for about 108 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 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 200.6 — 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
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|North Main Street
Turn left onto North Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.8 mi into trip|~2m in|West Avenue A
Turn right onto West Avenue A
Navigation decision point
5
200.5 mi into trip|~4h 12m in|East Grant Avenue
Turn left onto East Grant Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
200.6 mi into trip|~4h 12m in|North Court Street
Turn right onto North Court Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$29.62 one way
$59.25 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg70 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$32.70
$65.41
premium
$4.72
$37.25
$74.49
diesel
$4.80
$37.88
$75.75
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$30
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$55–$80
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 70.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
EV Charging Along Route
3 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: fair
Midwest Ford
Hutchinson, KS
FORD_CHARGE
2 DCFC
Midway Motors Chevrolet of Hutchinson
Hutchinson, KS
SYNERGEV
2 DCFC
Lewis Chevrolet of Dodge City - DCFC
Dodge City, KS
Blink Network
2 DCFC
FORD_CHARGE: 1
SYNERGEV: 1
Blink Network: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
60.2
0
$21.06
$9.63
Efficient EV
50.2
0
$17.55
$8.02
EV Truck/SUV
80.2
1
$28.08
$12.84
Gas CO2
70 kg
EV CO2
23 kg (67% 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 Jul 19, 2026
Origin
Hutchinson, KS
Late night
in Hutchinson on Sunday
Local time
1:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Clear
SSE 2 to 6 mph14% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Ulysses, KS
Late night
in Ulysses on Sunday
Local time
1:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Mostly Clear
SSE 3 to 10 mph4% chanceLive forecast
98°F
Fort Dodge, KS
100 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
6 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 13m 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 is primarily highway driving, with 87% of the 200.6 miles on faster roads. You'll encounter a continuous stretch of 108 miles on US 50. The remaining portion of the drive will transition to surface roads, offering a change of pace from the highway cruising. Expect a consistent driving experience with minimal interruptions for most of the trip.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 108 mi on US 50.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 50 and US 56. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 7th Avenue.
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 13m drive. You will face about 16 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 0.8 miles (West Avenue A): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 108 miles on US 50. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 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: near the start (East 7th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (West Avenue A): Navigation decision point.
Possible but tiring. At 4.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.4 hours — manageable with a long break at Ulysses, KS, but most travelers stay overnight.
