Origin
Leawood, KS
Night in Leawood on Saturday
Local time
11:35 PM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Leawood, KS to Atchison, KS
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 24m
Distance
62 mi
100 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Leawood, KS
Спиридон Варфаламеев
Atchison, KS
Tien Nguyen
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick escape from Leawood to Atchison, this 62-mile journey is a straightforward trek across the Kansas Great Plains. You can easily complete the trip in about 1 hour and 24 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. Budgeting approximately $9 for fuel covers the round trip comfortably, allowing you to focus on the drive rather than your wallet. Since both locations reside within the same region, you won't experience drastic shifts in landscape, but the transition from the suburbs to the riverfront area provides a nice change of pace. Because the total duration is quite short, there is no need to worry about overnight accommodations, giving you total flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 29 | 16.8 mi | 18m |
| 45 Highway | 13.7 mi | 18m |
| Harry Darby Memorial Highway | 12.4 mi | 14m |
| 273 Highway | 4.7 mi | 6m |
| Southwest 59 Highway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Metcalf Avenue | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| West 75th Street | 2 mi | 4m |
| Mission Road | 1.8 mi | 4m |
Longest stretch:
I 29
— 16.8 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Leawood, KS and Atchison, KS.
1
Start on West 90th Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
West 90th Street
2
Turn right onto Meadow Lane
371 ft
·
21 sec
·
Meadow Lane
3
Turn left onto West 89th Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West 89th Street
4
Turn right onto Mission Road
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Mission Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn left onto West 75th Street
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
West 75th Street
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto Metcalf Avenue
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Metcalf Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 635
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Harry Darby Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 635
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Harry Darby Memorial Highway
Use the slight left lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 635
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Harry Darby Memorial Highway
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 12A
Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport, Saint Joseph
Use the slight left lane.
11
Merge onto I 29; US 71
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 29; US 71
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 29; I 435; US 71
2.7 mi
·
2 min
·
I 29; I 435; US 71
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 29; US 71
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
I 29; US 71
Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: Saint Joseph
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 20
Toward MO 273 North: Tracy, Weston
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto MO 273; MO 371
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
273 Highway
16
Continue on MO 273
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
273 Highway
17
Turn right onto MO 45; MO 273
14 mi
·
18 min
·
45 Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Continue on MO 45; MO 273
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Southwest 45 Highway
Use the left lane.
19
Turn left onto US 59; MO 273
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Southwest 59 Highway
Use the left lane.
20
Continue on US 59; MO 273
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Amelia Earhart Bridge
21
Turn right onto South 4th Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
South 4th Street
22
Turn left onto Kansas Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Kansas Avenue
23
Arrive at destination
Kansas Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31 miles from Leawood, 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 185 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 37.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Mission Road
Turn right onto Mission Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
West 75th Street
Turn left onto West 75th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
4.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
Metcalf Avenue
Turn right onto Metcalf Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
9
20.2 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport, Saint Joseph
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 12A
Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport,...
8
37.4 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Take the exit toward MO 273 North: Tracy, Weston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 20
Toward MO 273 North: Tracy, Weston
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.69 one way
$19.39 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.64 | $21.29 |
| premium | $4.89 | $11.93 | $23.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.69 | $27.38 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.6 | 0 | $6.51 | $2.98 |
| Efficient EV | 15.5 | 0 | $5.43 | $2.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.8 | 0 | $8.68 | $3.97 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Atchison, KS
Night in Atchison on Saturday
Local time
11:35 PM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Riverside, MO
31 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
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
1h 24m 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 turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Only 27% of your travel occurs on major highways, meaning you will spend the majority of your time navigating local roads rather than cruising on the interstate. Your longest uninterrupted stretch is just 16.8 miles along I-29, which quickly gives way to the Harry Darby Memorial Highway and Highway 45. The personality of this route is defined by its winding local segments, shifting away from the typical monotonous interstate grind. You will find that the road surface and traffic patterns change frequently, so be prepared for a more interactive driving experience than a standard highway commute.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.8 mi on I 29.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near Mission Road.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 62 miles you will encounter 18 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (Mission Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles (West 75th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (Metcalf Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Leawood, KS and Atchison, KS, road signs point toward Saint Joseph and Weston.
Saint Joseph
20.2 mi in
|
~30m
Weston
37.4 mi in
|
~50m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 62 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.8 miles on I 29. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Atchison, KS before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: at 0.8 miles (Mission Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles (West 75th Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (Metcalf Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Atchison, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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