Kearney to Pierce is 172.1 miles and takes about 3h 20m via US 81 and Highway 30, with a fuel budget near $30 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region, traversing mostly Nebraska. Expect a straightforward drive that's ideal for a single-day excursion. The route is heavily weighted towards highway travel, making it an efficient way to get from point A to point B. Consider this if you're looking for a no-fuss transit between these two Nebraska communities.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
86.1 miles from Kearney, NE
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 40m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 81
44.7 mi
49m
Highway 30
43.8 mi
52m
I 80
40.8 mi
40m
370th Avenue
8.9 mi
10m
Highway 13
8 mi
9m
State Highway 22
7.8 mi
9m
South Locust Street
4.4 mi
5m
South Gunbarrel Road
4 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
US 81
— 44.7 mi, about 49m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~782 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,132
Quietest
3 AM
~98 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 42 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 Kearney, NE and Pierce, 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
2.2 mi·4 min·2nd Avenue
4
Turn left
0.3 mi·41 sec
Toward I 80 East
5
Merge onto I 80
41 mi·40 min·I 80
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward Grand Island
7
Turn left onto South Locust Street
4.4 mi·5 min·South Locust Street
8
Turn right onto US 34; N-2; I 80 Alt
2.4 mi·3 min·Highway 34
9
Turn left onto Husker Highway
0.7 mi·58 sec·Husker Highway
10
Continue on South Gunbarrel Road
4.0 mi·5 min·South Gunbarrel Road
11
Turn right onto US 30
18 mi·21 min·Highway 30
12
Continue on US 30
0.9 mi·1 min·G Street
13
Continue on US 30
0.6 mi·1 min·16th Street
14
Continue on US 30
26 mi·31 min·Highway 30
15
Turn left onto 370th Avenue
8.9 mi·10 min·370th Avenue
16
Continue on Gleason Street
0.2 mi·33 sec·Gleason Street
17
Turn right onto N-22
0.5 mi·55 sec·Columbus Avenue
18
Continue on N-22
7.8 mi·9 min·State Highway 22
19
At end of road, turn left onto US 81
45 mi·49 min·US 81
20
Turn left onto N-13
1.0 mi·1 min·Highway 13
21
Continue on N-13
0.4 mi·39 sec·Main Street
22
Turn straight onto N-13
7.0 mi·8 min·Highway 13
23
Continue on N-13
0.2 mi·24 sec·State Highway 13
24
Continue on N-13
0.3 mi·35 sec·East Willow Street
25
Turn right onto N-13
0.2 mi·26 sec·South Lucas Street
26
Turn right onto N-98
508 ft·10 sec·West Main Street
27
Arrive at destination
N-98
Trip Plan
For this 3h 20m drive, leaving Kearney in the morning will give you plenty of time to reach Pierce with daylight to spare. With only one recommended stop and a fuel cost estimated at $30, planning is straightforward. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 44.7-mile stretch on US 81, as services can be spaced out in this part of Nebraska. Since this is a single-day trip, you have flexibility to depart later if needed, but an earlier start is generally best for maximizing daylight.
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 86.1 miles from Kearney, NE, or about 1h 40m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 44.7 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 38 miles or 41m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 86.1 miles or 1h 40m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Pierce, NE than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Kearney, NE 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 Kearney, NE
This is one driving day of about 172.1 miles and 3h 20m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 38 miles from Kearney, NE.
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 81 for about 44.7 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 172 — 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
4
2.3 mi into trip|~5m in
Turn left toward I 80 East
Navigation decision point
Toward I 80 East
4
43.4 mi into trip|~46m in
Take the exit toward Grand Island
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward Grand Island
4
48.3 mi into trip|~53m in|US 34; N-2; I 80 Alt / Highway 34
Turn right onto US 34; N-2; I 80 Alt / Highway 34
Navigation decision point
5
172 mi into trip|~3h 20m in|N-98 / West Main Street
Turn right onto N-98 / West Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$28.61 one way
$57.23 round trip
$4.22/gal25.4 MPG avg60 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$31.17
$62.34
premium
$5.18
$35.12
$70.24
diesel
$5.35
$36.25
$72.50
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$29
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 60.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $18 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
51.6
0
$18.07
$8.26
Efficient EV
43
0
$15.06
$6.88
EV Truck/SUV
68.8
0
$24.09
$11.01
Gas CO2
60 kg
EV CO2
20 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 May 22, 2026
Origin
Kearney, NE
Afternoon
in Kearney on Wednesday
Local time
2:05 PM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
SE 15 mph85% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Pierce, NE
Afternoon
in Pierce on Wednesday
Local time
2:05 PM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
ESE 14 mph98% 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
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
3h 20m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is 86% highway, so expect long stretches of efficient travel. The longest continuous segment on US 81 covers 44.7 miles. You'll primarily be on major roadways until you approach Pierce, where the highway share decreases. This means you'll experience mostly rural cruising with limited complex intersections for most of the drive.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 44.7 mi on US 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 81 and Highway 30. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West 24th Street.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Kearney, NE to Pierce, NE is easy. At 3h 20m with 86% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West 24th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 43.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
2,151 ft1,520 ft
Total Climb
254 ft
Total Descent
824 ft
Highest Point
2,151 ft
Elevation Range
631 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 Kearney, NE to Pierce, NE, road signs begin pointing toward Grand Island along the way.
Grand Island
43.4 mi in|~46m
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
The longest stretch is about 44.7 miles on US 81. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 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.
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 2.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 43.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Possible but tiring. At 3.3 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.7 hours — manageable with a long break at Pierce, NE, but most travelers stay overnight.
