Origin
Kearney, NE
Night in Kearney on Saturday
Local time
9:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kearney, NE to Cozad, NE
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
53.6 mi
86 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kearney, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Cozad, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Kearney to Cozad, you are looking at a quick 53.6-mile trek across the Nebraska Great Plains. This straightforward journey takes roughly 58 minutes, making it an ideal candidate for a simple day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will spend about $8 on fuel for the trip, keeping costs very low for your budget. Because the route stays within the heart of the Great Plains, you can expect a consistent landscape throughout the hour-long drive. Whether you are heading out for business or a quick change of scenery, the simplicity of this connection makes it an easy addition to your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 80 | 49.5 mi | 49m |
| 2nd Avenue | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| South Meridian Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| State Highway 21 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East 8th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West 24th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| E Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| H Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 49.5 mi, about 49m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kearney, NE and Cozad, NE.
1
Start on Central Avenue
51 ft
·
3 sec
·
Central Avenue
2
Turn right onto West 24th Street
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
West 24th Street
3
Turn left onto 2nd Avenue
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
2nd Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 80 West
5
Merge onto I 80
49 mi
·
49 min
·
I 80
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 222
Toward NE 21: Cozad
7
Keep slight right at fork
159 ft
·
5 sec
Toward NE 21 North: Cozad
8
Turn straight onto N-21
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Meridian Avenue
9
Continue on N-21
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
State Highway 21
10
Continue on N-21
433 ft
·
21 sec
·
E Street
11
Turn left onto N-21
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
East 8th Street
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto H Street
67 ft
·
2 sec
·
H Street
13
Arrive at destination
H Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.8 miles from Kearney, NE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 53.6 — 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
|
West 24th Street
Turn right onto West 24th Street
Navigation decision point
5
52 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Take the exit toward NE 21: Cozad
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 222
Toward NE 21: Cozad
5
52.3 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NE 21 North: Cozad
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward NE 21 North: Cozad
7
53.3 mi into trip
|
~57m in
|
N-21 / East 8th Street
Turn left onto N-21 / East 8th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
53.6 mi into trip
|
~58m in
|
H Street
Turn right onto H Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.38 one way
$16.76 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.20 | $18.40 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.31 | $20.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.83 | $23.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.63 | $2.57 |
| Efficient EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.69 | $2.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.4 | 0 | $7.50 | $3.43 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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.
Destination
Cozad, NE
Night in Cozad on Saturday
Local time
9:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
83°F
Overton, NE
27 mi in
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
58m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highly efficient, highway-focused experience as you navigate between these two Nebraska towns. Roughly 93% of your time will be spent on major roads, with I-80 serving as the backbone of your journey. You will settle into a long, uninterrupted stretch of 49.5 miles on the interstate, allowing for a steady and predictable pace. Transitions from local streets like 2nd Avenue and South Meridian Avenue onto the highway are quick, meaning you spend very little time dealing with stop-and-go traffic. It is a no-nonsense drive designed for speed and convenience rather than winding, technical maneuvers.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 49.5 mi on I 80.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and 2nd Avenue. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 24th Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 58m drive. You will face about 7 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 (West 24th Street): Navigation decision point; at 52 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 52.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 53.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 49.5 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: near the start (West 24th Street): Navigation decision point; at 52 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 52.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cozad, NE 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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