Monmouth, KS to Dodge City, KS is 301.5 miles and takes about 6h 5m via US 400, with a fuel budget near $53 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive spans the heart of the Great Plains, taking you from one point in Kansas to another across a landscape known for its wide-open spaces. The route is primarily on highways, making for efficient travel, but expect a significant portion on surface roads as you approach your destination. It's a straightforward trip, ideal if you're looking for a direct path across the state.
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
150.8 miles from Monmouth, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 1m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 400
91.2 mi
1h 46m
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
68.5 mi
1h 21m
Clayton J. Connell Memorial Highway
61.6 mi
1h 11m
Cannonball Stageline
60.2 mi
1h 8m
The Yellow Brick Road
8.3 mi
9m
East 1st Street
3.1 mi
6m
D Avenue
2.4 mi
5m
East Wyatt Earp Boulevard
2.1 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
US 400
— 91.2 mi, about 1h 46m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Monmouth, KS and Dodge City, KS.
1
Start on East 516th Avenue
10 ft·2 sec·East 516th Avenue
2
Turn right onto South 93rd Street
511 ft·24 sec·South 93rd Street
3
Turn right onto East 515th Avenue
0.2 mi·38 sec·East 515th Avenue
4
Continue on East 515th Avenue
201 ft·9 sec·East 515th Avenue
5
Turn straight onto South 90th Street
1.5 mi·5 min·South 90th Street
6
Turn right onto US 400
58 mi·1 hr 6 min·US 400
Use the straight lane.
7
Enter roundabout onto US 400
170 ft·2 sec·Clayton J. Connell Memorial Highway
8
Continue on US 400
62 mi·1 hr 11 min·Clayton J. Connell Memorial Highway
9
Continue on US 54; US 77; US 400
7.3 mi·8 min·Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
10
Continue on US 54; US 77; US 400
0.7 mi·1 min·East 7th Avenue
11
Continue on US 54; US 400
61 mi·1 hr 12 min·Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on US 54; US 400; KS 14
2.4 mi·5 min·D Avenue
13
Continue on US 54; US 400
31 mi·35 min·Cannonball Stageline
Use the straight lane.
14
Continue on US 54; US 400
3.1 mi·6 min·East 1st Street
15
Continue on US 54; US 400
29 mi·33 min·Cannonball Stageline
16
Continue on US 54; US 400
1.3 mi·2 min·East Kansas Avenue
17
Continue on US 54; US 400
8.3 mi·9 min·The Yellow Brick Road
18
Keep slight right at fork onto US 400
34 mi·40 min·US 400
19
Turn right onto US 56; US 283
0.4 mi·57 sec·US 56; US 283
20
Turn left onto East Wyatt Earp Boulevard
2.1 mi·3 min·East Wyatt Earp Boulevard
21
Turn right onto Central Avenue
33 ft·0 sec·Central Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
Central Avenue
Trip Plan
For this 6-hour drive, leaving in the morning is best to ensure you have plenty of daylight. With only one recommended stop, you can break up the drive as needed, perhaps around the 3-hour mark. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially during the 91.2-mile stretch on US 400 where services might be less frequent. The estimated fuel cost is around $53, so plan accordingly. Since this is a single-day trip, you have flexibility to adjust your pace.
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 150.8 miles from Monmouth, KS, or about 3h 1m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 91.2 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 66 miles or 1h 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 150.8 miles or 3h 1m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 58m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dodge City, KS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Monmouth, KS so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
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 Monmouth, KS
This is one driving day of about 301.5 miles and 6h 5m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 66 miles from Monmouth, 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 US 400 for about 91.2 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 265.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|South 93rd Street
Turn right onto South 93rd Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|East 515th Avenue
Turn right onto East 515th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.8 mi into trip|~6m in|US 400
Turn right onto US 400
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
59.3 mi into trip|~1h 13m in|US 400 / Clayton J. Connell Memorial Highway
Enter roundabout onto US 400 / Clayton J. Connell Memorial Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
265.3 mi into trip|~5h 20m in|US 400
Keep slight right at fork onto US 400
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$44.52 one way
$89.05 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg106 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$49.15
$98.31
premium
$4.72
$55.98
$111.96
diesel
$4.80
$56.93
$113.86
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$45
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$70–$95
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 105.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $32 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
90.5
1
$31.66
$14.47
Efficient EV
75.4
0
$26.38
$12.06
EV Truck/SUV
120.6
1
$42.21
$19.30
Gas CO2
105 kg
EV CO2
35 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 Jul 17, 2026
Origin
Monmouth, KS
Late night
in Monmouth on Sunday
Local time
1:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
91°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 10 mph23% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Dodge City, KS
Late night
in Dodge City on Sunday
Local time
1:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
90°F
Mostly Sunny
S 12 mph0% chanceLive forecast
75°F
Cheney, KS
151 mi in
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
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
6h 5m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 30% of this 301.5-mile drive on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch of highway is 91.2 miles on US 400. After the highway segments, the route transitions to surface roads, offering a more rural cruising experience. Expect a mix of efficient highway travel and slower surface road driving as you get closer to Dodge City.
30% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 91.2 mi on US 400.
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 early in the drive near South 93rd 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 5m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 8 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (South 93rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East 515th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (US 400): Lane positioning matters here.
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
The longest stretch is about 91.2 miles on US 400. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 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 7 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (South 93rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East 515th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (US 400): Lane positioning matters here.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.1 hours each way, a round trip means 12.2 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.
