Newbury to Shawnee is 90.1 miles and takes about 1h 44m via Kansas Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $14 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Great Plains region, offering a fairly consistent landscape. It's a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in a single day, making it ideal if you're looking for a quick hop between points in Kansas. Plan for a mix of highway cruising and some surface road driving as you get closer to your destination.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
45.1 miles from Newbury, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 51m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Kansas Turnpike
48.7 mi
49m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
30.3 mi
32m
South 59th Street
2.8 mi
5m
Snokomo Road
1.4 mi
2m
Turner Diagonal
1.2 mi
1m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
1.1 mi
1m
KS 32
1 mi
1m
Inland Drive
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Kansas Turnpike
— 48.7 mi, about 49m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newbury, KS and Shawnee, KS.
Given the relatively short duration of about 1 hour and 44 minutes, this trip is best suited for a same-day excursion. You could leave Newbury in the morning and arrive in Shawnee with plenty of daylight to spare. Since it's not an overly long drive, you don't necessarily need to plan for extensive stops, but keeping an eye on your fuel gauge is always wise, especially with a $14 estimated fuel cost. The longest stretch on the Kansas Turnpike is nearly 50 miles, so be sure you're comfortable with that sustained highway driving before you begin.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 45.1 miles from Newbury, KS, or about 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 48.7 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 20 miles or 24m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 45.1 miles or 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 20m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Shawnee, KS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Newbury, KS so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Newbury, KS
This is one driving day of about 90.1 miles and 1h 44m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Newbury, KS.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Kansas Turnpike for about 48.7 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 83.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1.6 mi into trip|~4m in|Main Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
3.2 mi into trip|~6m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
6
34.1 mi into trip|~40m in|I 70 / Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70 / Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway toward I-70 East, Kansas City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-70 East, Kansas City
5
83.5 mi into trip|~1h 30m in
Take the exit toward College Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 415
Toward College Parkway
8
83.8 mi into trip|~1h 31m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Turner Diagonal
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Turner Diagonal
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.09 one way
$28.17 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg32 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$15.47
$30.93
premium
$4.89
$17.34
$34.68
diesel
$5.61
$19.89
$39.79
Estimated Tolls: $2.43
Kansas Turnpike
(48.7 mi)$2.43
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
$14
Tolls
$2
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 31.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
27
0
$9.46
$4.32
Efficient EV
22.5
0
$7.88
$3.60
EV Truck/SUV
36
0
$12.61
$5.77
Gas CO2
32 kg
EV CO2
11 kg (66% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026
Origin
Newbury, KS
Morning
in Newbury on Sunday
Local time
11:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Shawnee, KS
Morning
in Shawnee on Sunday
Local time
11:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
54°F
Tecumseh, KS
45 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
6 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 44m 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.
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?
About 55% of this 90.1-mile route is on highways, including the Kansas Turnpike. You'll encounter a long stretch of 48.7 miles on the Kansas Turnpike before transitioning to surface roads like South 59th Street. Expect some merging and a change in pace as you move from high-speed highway travel to more localized streets closer to Shawnee. The profile is mixed highway and surface, so be ready for varying speed limits and traffic patterns.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 48.7 mi on Kansas Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near Main Street.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 90.1 miles you will encounter 13 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 1.6 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 34.1 miles (I 70 / Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Newbury, KS and Shawnee, KS, road signs point toward Kansas City and Turner Diagonal.
Kansas City
34.1 mi in|~40m|via I 70
Turner Diagonal
83.8 mi in|~1h 31m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 44m. Total distance: 90.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 48.7 miles on Kansas Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.43 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 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 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 Shawnee, 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 1.6 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 34.1 miles (I 70 / Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park. 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 Shawnee, KS before heading back.
