Origin
Lexington, KY
Morning in Lexington on Tuesday
Local time
6:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lexington, KY to Nicholasville, KY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
11.6 mi
19 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Nicholasville, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 11.6-mile trip from Lexington, KY to Nicholasville, KY is designed for a single day, taking about 18 minutes to complete. You'll primarily be on Lexington Road and Nicholasville Road, with no highway driving involved. With a fuel cost estimated at just $2, this is a budget-friendly excursion. The drive is entirely within the Southeast region, offering a straightforward local experience. Given its short distance and minimal duration, this route is perfect for a brief outing or an easy commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington Road | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| Nicholasville Road | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| North Main Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Gainesway Drive | 1 mi | 2m |
| New Circle Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Tates Creek Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Coldstream Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Lexington Road
— 4.5 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lexington, KY and Nicholasville, KY.
1
Start on Coldstream Drive
261 ft
·
11 sec
·
Coldstream Drive
2
Turn right onto Gainesway Drive
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Gainesway Drive
3
Turn right onto KY 1974
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Tates Creek Road
4
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward KY 4 West: New Circle Road
5
Merge onto KY 4
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
New Circle Road
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 19
Toward US 27: Nicholasville, Lexington
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn left onto US 27
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Nicholasville Road
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on US 27
4.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Lexington Road
9
Turn left onto US 27 Business
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
North Main Street
Use the left lane.
10
Arrive at destination
US 27 Business
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 9.9 — 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
|
Gainesway Drive
Turn right onto Gainesway Drive
Navigation decision point
4
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
KY 1974 / Tates Creek Road
Turn right onto KY 1974 / Tates Creek Road
Navigation decision point
8
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward US 27: Nicholasville, Lexington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 19
Toward US 27: Nicholasville, Lexington
6
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
US 27 / Nicholasville Road
Turn left onto US 27 / Nicholasville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
9.9 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
US 27 Business / North Main Street
Turn left onto US 27 Business / North Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.81 one way
$3.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.99 | $3.98 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.23 | $4.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.56 | $5.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.02 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Nicholasville, KY
Morning in Nicholasville on Tuesday
Local time
6:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
18m 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 for this 11.6-mile journey. With a 0% highway share, you'll be navigating surface streets for the entire trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 4.5 miles on Lexington Road. This route prioritizes local connectivity over open road cruising, meaning you'll be engaging with traffic signals and intersections frequently. The road's personality is that of a familiar, well-trafficked local artery connecting two communities.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.5 mi on Lexington Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Gainesway Drive.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 7 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 (Gainesway Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (KY 1974 / Tates Creek Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Lexington, KY
Full guide →Lexington is the second largest city in Kentucky, located in the Bluegrass Region. Known as the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington has traditionally been dominated by the horse industry and is also heavily influenced by the University of Kentucky, the state's flagship university and the largest employer in the city. The horse industry has greatly influenced Lexington's culture and scenic beauty; the University of Kentucky and Transylvania University contribute to a college town atmosphere with a richer and more diverse culture than some might expect from its size and location. Lexington's compact central downtown district is surrounded by historic neighborhoods. Lexington is in the heart of the Bluegrass region of Kentucky and is still home to hundreds of horse farms.
Arriving in Nicholasville, KY
Full guide →Nicholasville is a city of 31,000 (2019) in Jessamine County in the Bluegrass Region. The city serves as both a residential area for Lexington-area commuters and as an employment and shopping center for central Kentucky.
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 18m. Total distance: 11.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.5 miles on Lexington Road. 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 (Gainesway Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (KY 1974 / Tates Creek Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Camp Nelson National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Nicholasville, KY 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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