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Trip from Junction City, KS to Riley County, KS

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

44m

Distance

30.8 mi

50 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 41m ★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 42m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in and county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States

Junction City, KS

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Riley County, KS, KS

Riley County, KS

David Guerrero

Trip Overview

This 30.8-mile drive from Junction City, KS to Riley County, KS will take you about 44 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily travel on KS 18 and Tuttle Creek Boulevard, with a portion on South Seth Child Road. With only 37% of the drive on highways, expect a more local feel. The estimated fuel cost is around $5, which is quite manageable. Since it's a short distance, you have plenty of flexibility for when you want to depart and how you structure your time. This route stays within the Great Plains region, offering a consistent landscape throughout your journey.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
KS 18 11.3 mi 12m
Tuttle Creek Boulevard 7 mi 8m
South Seth Child Road 5.6 mi 8m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway 3.5 mi 3m
West 6th Street 1.7 mi 3m
J Hill Road 0.1 mi <1m
North Jefferson Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: KS 18 — 11.3 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Junction City, KS and Riley County, KS.

1

Start on North Jefferson Street

130 ft · 11 sec · North Jefferson Street
2

Turn left onto West 6th Street

1.7 mi · 3 min · West 6th Street
3

Turn right onto J Hill Road

0.1 mi · 22 sec · J Hill Road
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Toward I-70 East, US 40 East, KS 18 East: Topeka
5

Merge onto I 70; US 40; KS 18

3.5 mi · 3 min · Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
6

Take the exit onto KS 18

0.3 mi · 40 sec · KS 18
Toward KS 18 East: Manhattan
7

Turn left onto KS 18

11 mi · 12 min · KS 18
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Toward KS 113
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 17 sec
Use the left lane.
10

Continue on K-113

5.6 mi · 8 min · South Seth Child Road
11

Enter roundabout onto US 24

339 ft · 3 sec · Tuttle Creek Boulevard
12

Continue on US 24

7.0 mi · 8 min · Tuttle Creek Boulevard
13

Turn right

0.9 mi · 6 min
14

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | West 6th Street

Turn left onto West 6th Street

Navigation decision point

7
1.8 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the ramp toward I-70 East, US 40 East, KS 18 East: Topeka

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I-70 East, US 40 East, KS 18 East: Topek...
4
5.6 mi into trip | ~8m in | KS 18

Take the exit onto KS 18 toward KS 18 East: Manhattan

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward KS 18 East: Manhattan
7
17.1 mi into trip | ~21m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
22.8 mi into trip | ~30m 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

$5.12 one way

$10.24 round trip

$4.22/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.60 $5.58 $11.16
premium $5.18 $6.28 $12.57
diesel $5.35 $6.49 $12.97

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.2 0 $3.23 $1.48
Efficient EV 7.7 0 $2.70 $1.23
EV Truck/SUV 12.3 0 $4.31 $1.97

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 Jun 2, 2026

Origin

Junction City, KS

Afternoon in Junction City on Wednesday

Local time

3:54 PM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

SE 5 mph 21% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued June 2 at 1:22AM CDT until June 2 at 5:30AM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued June 2 at 1:04AM CDT until June 2 at 4:00AM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Destination

Riley County, KS

Afternoon in Riley County on Wednesday

Local time

3:54 PM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

E 5 mph 21% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued June 2 at 1:22AM CDT until June 2 at 5:30AM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued June 2 at 1:04AM CDT until June 2 at 4:00AM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

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

1 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

44m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

The character of this drive is a mixed bag, with just over a third of it being highway driving. You'll encounter stretches of faster travel on KS 18, including the longest uninterrupted segment of 11.3 miles. As you transition to Tuttle Creek Boulevard and South Seth Child Road, expect a change in pace, likely involving more local traffic and potentially lower speed limits. This blend means you won't be stuck in a monotonous interstate crawl, but rather experience a dynamic shift in road conditions as you near your destination.

37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.3 mi on KS 18.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 6th Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 30.8 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.6 miles (KS 18): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,363 ft 1,037 ft

Total Climb

477 ft

Total Descent

299 ft

Highest Point

1,363 ft

~26.4 mi in

Elevation Range

326 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Junction City, KS

Full guide →

Founded 1854

Junction City is the seat of Geary County, in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. It is a small city of around 23,000 people.

Top landmarks

  • • Grand Army of the Republic memorial — memorial in Junction City, Kansas

Arriving in Riley County, KS

Full guide →

Founded 1855

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 30.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

44m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (37%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 11.3 miles on KS 18. 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.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.6 miles (KS 18): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Riley County, KS before heading back.

How this page is built

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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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