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Trip from Kiowa, KS to Lake City, KS

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 12m

Distance

40 mi

64 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m

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

Best Time
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Download GPX
Downtown Kiowa, KS, KS

Kiowa, KS

Tien Nguyen

Downtown Lake City, KS, KS

Lake City, KS

yongbing li

Trip Overview

Kiowa to Lake City is 40 miles and takes about 1 hour 12 minutes via US 281, US 160, and Main Street, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward drive primarily through the Great Plains region of Kansas. Expect a highway-focused experience that makes for an easy, no-fuss journey. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick relocation or a segment of a larger trip where you need to cover a short distance efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 281 18 mi 26m
US 160 12.3 mi 18m
Main Street 4.7 mi 8m
Lake City Road 4.2 mi 16m
Seminary Street 0.8 mi 3m
Cleveland Street <0.1 mi <1m
North 7th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 281 — 18 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Kiowa, KS and Lake City, KS.

1

Start on KS 2

90 ft · 3 sec · North 7th Street
2

Turn right onto KS 2

4.7 mi · 8 min · Main Street
3

At end of road, turn right onto US 281

18 mi · 26 min · US 281
4

Turn left onto US 160

12 mi · 18 min · US 160
5

Turn right onto Lake City Road

4.2 mi · 16 min · Lake City Road
6

Continue on Seminary Street

0.8 mi · 3 min · Seminary Street
7

Turn right onto Cleveland Street

224 ft · 9 sec · Cleveland Street
8

Arrive at destination

Cleveland Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Medicine Lodge, KS, KS

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Medicine Lodge, KS

20 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

Sun City, KS

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Medicine Lodge, KS

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20 miles from Kiowa, KS, 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 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 40 — 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 | KS 2 / Main Street

Turn right onto KS 2 / Main Street

Navigation decision point

5
4.8 mi into trip | ~8m in | US 281

At end of road, turn right onto US 281

Navigation decision point

3
22.7 mi into trip | ~35m in | US 160

Turn left onto US 160

Navigation decision point

3
35 mi into trip | ~53m in | Lake City Road

Turn right onto Lake City Road

Navigation decision point

4
40 mi into trip | ~1h 12m in | Cleveland Street

Turn right onto Cleveland Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.91 one way

$11.81 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $6.52 $13.04
premium $4.72 $7.43 $14.85
diesel $4.80 $7.55 $15.11

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 14 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12 0 $4.20 $1.92
Efficient EV 10 0 $3.50 $1.60
EV Truck/SUV 16 0 $5.60 $2.56

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 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 Jul 1, 2026

Origin

Kiowa, KS

Night in Kiowa on Monday

Local time

9:10 PM

CDT

Current temp

77°F

Mostly Cloudy

SSE 10 to 16 mph 11% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued June 30 at 7:56PM CDT until June 30 at 8:15PM CDT by NWS Dodge City KS

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued June 30 at 7:50PM CDT until June 30 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Goodland KS

Destination

Lake City, KS

Night in Lake City on Monday

Local time

9:10 PM

CDT

Current temp

75°F

Mostly Cloudy

S 8 to 14 mph 14% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued June 30 at 7:56PM CDT until June 30 at 8:15PM CDT by NWS Dodge City KS

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued June 30 at 7:50PM CDT until June 30 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Goodland 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

2 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

1h 12m 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?

This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 76% of the journey on higher-speed roads. You'll spend a significant portion on US 281, including an uninterrupted stretch of 18 miles, before transitioning to US 160 and then local roads like Main Street into Lake City. The character is consistent, offering a steady pace without many dramatic shifts. It's the kind of drive where you can settle in and cover ground without much fuss.

76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18 mi on US 281.

How Hard Is This Drive?

2/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 281 and US 160. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near KS 2 / Main Street.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Kiowa, KS to Lake City, KS is easy. At 1h 12m with 76% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (KS 2 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.8 miles (US 281): Navigation decision point; at 22.7 miles (US 160): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,674 ft 1,335 ft

Total Climb

460 ft

Total Descent

178 ft

Highest Point

1,674 ft

~34.3 mi in

Elevation Range

339 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Kiowa, KS

Full guide →

Arriving in Lake City, KS

Full guide →

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 1h 12m. Total distance: 40 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (76%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 18 miles on US 281. 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 (KS 2 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.8 miles (US 281): Navigation decision point; at 22.7 miles (US 160): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lake City, 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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