Leavenworth, KS to Dodge City, KS is 334.6 miles and takes about 6h 16m via Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway and KS 156, with a fuel budget near $52 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive takes you across the heart of Kansas, moving from the Great Plains region to a similar landscape. Expect a mixed driving experience with a significant portion on highways, but also time on surface roads. With only one recommended stop and a manageable duration, this route is well-suited for a single-day trip if you get an early start.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
167.3 miles from Leavenworth, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 58m into the drive
.
For this 6-hour drive, leaving Leavenworth by mid-morning should give you ample time to reach Dodge City before dark. Plan for one stop to break up the drive; a good point might be around the halfway mark. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the longer highway stretches, as services can be spread out. Given the route's manageable length, you have flexibility to adjust your timing or stop duration as needed.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 167.3 miles from Leavenworth, KS, or about 2h 58m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 91.6 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 74 miles or 1h 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 167.3 miles or 2h 58m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 4m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dodge City, KS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
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Open the route before leaving Leavenworth, KS so your first major turns are already loaded.
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Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
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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 Leavenworth, KS
This is one driving day of about 334.6 miles and 6h 16m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 74 miles from Leavenworth, KS.
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 Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway for about 91.6 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 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 198.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|KS 92 / Spruce Street
At end of road, turn left onto KS 92 / Spruce Street
Navigation decision point
7
15.7 mi into trip|~23m in
Turn left toward I 70 West: Topeka
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 70 West: Topeka
5
16.1 mi into trip|~24m in|I 70; US 24; US 40 / Kansas Turnpike
Merge onto I 70; US 24; US 40 / Kansas Turnpike
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
56.3 mi into trip|~1h 5m in|I 70 / Kansas Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto I 70 / Kansas Turnpike toward I-70 West, US 40 West: Topeka, Salina
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I-70 West, US 40 West: Topeka, Salina
5
198.2 mi into trip|~3h 29m in
Take the exit toward KS 156, Ellsworth, Great Bend
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward KS 156, Ellsworth, Great Bend
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$55.63 one way
$111.26 round trip
$4.22/gal25.4 MPG avg117 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$60.60
$121.19
premium
$5.18
$68.28
$136.55
diesel
$5.35
$70.48
$140.95
Estimated Tolls: $2.06
Kansas Turnpike
(41.1 mi)$2.06
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$56
Tolls
$2
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$83–$108
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 117.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $35 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
100.4
1
$35.13
$16.06
Efficient EV
83.7
0
$29.28
$13.38
EV Truck/SUV
133.8
1
$46.84
$21.41
Gas CO2
117 kg
EV CO2
39 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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
Leavenworth, KS
Afternoon
in Leavenworth on Wednesday
Local time
2:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Partly Cloudy
ENE 5 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued June 2 at 3:17AM CDT by NWS Dodge City KS
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued June 2 at 1:22AM CDT until June 2 at 5:30AM CDT by NWS Wichita KS
Destination
Dodge City, KS
Afternoon
in Dodge City on Wednesday
Local time
2:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
E 9 mph32% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued June 2 at 3:17AM CDT by NWS Dodge City KS
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued June 2 at 1:22AM CDT until June 2 at 5:30AM CDT by NWS Wichita KS
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
5 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
6h 16m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park
National Historical Park
The path to equality has been anything but smooth. It's taken courage and dedication by everyday people coming together for a common goal to carry the country toward true equality. Parents, teachers,...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 34% of this trip on highways, with the longest continuous stretch on the Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway covering 91.6 miles. After that, you transition to KS 156 and other surface roads. This means you'll experience periods of open highway cruising followed by more frequent intersections and potentially lower speed limits as you move through varied terrain.
34% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 91.6 mi on Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 around 0.1 miles in near KS 92 / Spruce Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The route itself is not hard, but at 6h 16m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 16 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (KS 92 / Spruce Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles (I 70; US 24; US 40 / Kansas Turnpike): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
2,492 ft841 ft
Total Climb
1,731 ft
Total Descent
80 ft
Highest Point
2,492 ft
~334.6 mi in
Elevation Range
1,651 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Leavenworth, KS and Dodge City, KS, road signs point toward Salina, Ellsworth and Great Bend.
Leavenworth is a city in Eastern Kansas.
Leavenworth, the "First City in Kansas", established in 1854, is located on the west banks of the Missouri River and became nationally known as the "jumping off point" for the opening of the West. Buffalo Bill Cody spent part of his youth here and later worked in the area as a Pony Express rider and Army scout. Cody's parents are buried in Leavenworth.
Top landmarks
•Leavenworth Riverfront Community Center — historic building in Leavenworth, Kansas, United States
•Carnegie Arts Center of Leavenworth — building in Leavenworth, Kansas, USA
•Western Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers — historic district in Leavenworth, Kansas, United States
Dodge City is a town of 27,000 people (2019) in the Western region of Kansas. In and around the city, there are historical sites, museums, and landmarks dedicated to Dodge City's Old West heritage.
Top landmarks
•Sacred Heart Cathedral — former cathedral church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
•Dodge City station — train station in Dodge City, Kansas, US
•Dodge City Public Library building — building in the USA
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 91.6 miles on Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.06 in tolls one way, starting with Kansas Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes — we found about 23 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.
It helps. This is a long drive, so arriving tired and in the dark compounds. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Dodge City, KS before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 23 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (KS 92 / Spruce Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles (I 70; US 24; US 40 / Kansas Turnpike): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.3 hours each way, a round trip means 12.6 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Dodge City, KS before the return drive.
