Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 26m
Distance
44.3 mi
71 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kiowa, KS
Tien Nguyen
Sun City, KS
Fernanda Gomez de la torre
Kiowa, KS to Sun City, KS is 44.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 26 minutes via River Road and US 281, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward drive between two Kansas towns. You'll encounter a mix of highway and surface roads, making it a practical option for a quick transit or a relaxed afternoon excursion. Given the short duration, it's an easy same-day trip, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| River Road | 19.1 mi | 46m |
| US 281 | 18 mi | 26m |
| Main Street | 5.1 mi | 9m |
| South Iliff Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| US 160 | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Stolp Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Mingona Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Kiowa, KS and Sun City, KS.
Start on KS 2
Turn right onto KS 2
At end of road, turn right onto US 281
Continue on US 160; US 281
Turn left onto US 281
Turn left onto West Stolp Avenue
Continue on River Road
Continue on Mingona Road
Keep slight left at fork onto River Road
Continue on Main Street
Continue on River Road
Continue on East Main Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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.
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 22.2 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 30.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto KS 2 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn right onto US 281
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto US 281 / South Iliff Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto West Stolp Avenue
Navigation decision point
Keep slight left at fork onto River Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Regular Gas
$7.39 one way
$14.78 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.62 | $8.06 | $16.13 |
| premium | $5.25 | $9.16 | $18.32 |
| diesel | $6.18 | $10.78 | $21.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.65 | $2.13 |
| Efficient EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.88 | $1.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.7 | 0 | $6.20 | $2.84 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Kiowa on Wednesday
Local time
2:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Sun City on Wednesday
Local time
2:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Mostly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
About 42% of this drive is on highways, with the remaining stretch shifting to surface roads. Your longest continuous segment on a highway-like road will be 19.1 miles on River Road. Expect a transition from more open highway cruising to rural surface road driving as you progress. This means you'll likely notice a change in pavement quality and speed limits after leaving the main highway.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near KS 2 / Main Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 26m drive. You will face about 5 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 (KS 2 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.8 miles (US 281): Navigation decision point; at 23.3 miles (US 281 / South Iliff Street): Navigation decision point.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
416 ft
Total Descent
71 ft
Highest Point
1,680 ft
~44.3 mi in
Elevation Range
360 ft
Founded 1872
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 44.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (42%). Straightforward navigation.
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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