Origin
Lexington, NE
Late night in Lexington on Tuesday
Local time
4:00 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lexington, NE to Holdrege, NE
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
48m
Distance
40.5 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lexington, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Holdrege, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transit across the Great Plains, the 40.5-mile journey from Lexington to Holdrege is a straightforward connection. You can expect to spend about 48 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of roughly $6, it is an incredibly economical route to manage. You will primarily utilize I-80, US Highway 183, and Plum Creek Parkway to navigate between these two Nebraska towns. Because the entire drive is contained within the Great Plains region, the landscape remains consistent throughout your transit. It is a no-nonsense commute that gets you where you need to go without requiring an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 80 | 19.2 mi | 19m |
| US Highway 183 | 13.9 mi | 16m |
| Plum Creek Parkway | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Highway 183 | 1.6 mi | 1m |
| Burlington Street | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| 11th Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North Jackson Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 19.2 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lexington, NE and Holdrege, NE.
1
Start on North Washington Street
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
North Washington Street
2
Turn left onto East 6th Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
East 6th Street
3
Turn right onto North Jackson Street
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
·
North Jackson Street
4
Continue on US 283
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Plum Creek Parkway
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 80 East: Kearney
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 80
19 mi
·
19 min
·
I 80
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 257
Toward US 183: Holdrege, Elm Creek
8
Turn right onto US 183
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Highway 183
9
Continue on US 183
14 mi
·
16 min
·
US Highway 183
10
Continue on US 183
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Burlington Street
11
Turn left onto 11th Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
11th Avenue
12
Turn right onto East Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Avenue
13
Continue on East Avenue
109 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
East Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 40.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.3 miles from Lexington, NE, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 39.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East 6th Street
Turn left onto East 6th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Jackson Street
Turn right onto North Jackson Street
Navigation decision point
6
3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Turn left toward I 80 East: Kearney
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 80 East: Kearney
6
22.5 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward US 183: Holdrege, Elm Creek
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 257
Toward US 183: Holdrege, Elm Creek
4
39.6 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
11th Avenue
Turn left onto 11th Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.33 one way
$12.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $6.95 | $13.90 |
| premium | $4.89 | $7.79 | $15.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.94 | $17.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.25 | $1.94 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
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.
Destination
Holdrege, NE
Late night in Holdrege on Tuesday
Local time
4:00 AM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Overton, NE
20 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
48m 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?
This trip is heavily highway-focused, with 92% of your travel taking place on high-speed thoroughfares. You will spend a significant portion of the journey on I-80, which features your longest uninterrupted stretch of 19.2 miles. Expect a steady, efficient pace as you transition from the interstate onto US Highway 183. The road personality is functional and direct, designed for travelers who prioritize speed over winding scenic detours. Being behind the wheel here feels like a classic Great Plains drive, offering expansive visibility and predictable road conditions for the duration of your 48-minute trip.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.2 mi on I 80.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and US Highway 183. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East 6th Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 48m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East 6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (North Jackson Street): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles: 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.
On the drive from Lexington, NE to Holdrege, NE, road signs begin pointing toward Elm Creek along the way.
Elm Creek
22.5 mi in
|
~25m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 48m. Total distance: 40.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.2 miles on I 80. 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.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through NE can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East 6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (North Jackson Street): Navigation decision point; at 3 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Holdrege, NE 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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