The drive from Norfolk, NE to Crete, NE covers 124.4 miles and takes about 2h 28m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South 13th Street, 33rd Avenue, 280th Road for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is mostly surface roads.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 43.4 miles on South 13th Street.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $19.29 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
62.2 miles from Norfolk, NE
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 11m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
South 13th Street
43.4 mi
47m
33rd Avenue
16.4 mi
19m
280th Road
16.1 mi
19m
31 Road
12.2 mi
14m
O Road
11.1 mi
12m
Highway 33
8.5 mi
10m
294th Road
4.7 mi
5m
Highway 6
3.1 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
South 13th Street
— 43.4 mi, about 47m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,037 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,508
Quietest
2 AM
~127 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 86 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Norfolk, NE and Crete, NE.
1
Start on South 7th Street
0.2 mi·22 sec·South 7th Street
2
Enter roundabout onto West Pasewalk Avenue
33 ft·1 sec·West Pasewalk Avenue
3
Continue on West Pasewalk Avenue
0.5 mi·1 min·West Pasewalk Avenue
4
Turn left onto US 81
43 mi·47 min·South 13th Street
5
Turn right onto 45th Avenue
203 ft·4 sec·45th Avenue
6
Continue on Howard Boulevard
1.0 mi·1 min·Howard Boulevard
7
Turn right onto US 30; US 81
16 mi·19 min·33rd Avenue
8
Turn left onto N-92
12 mi·14 min·31 Road
9
Continue on N-92
2.3 mi·2 min·32 Road
10
Turn right onto N-15
11 mi·12 min·O Road
11
Continue on N-15
8.0 mi·9 min·280th Road
12
Continue on N-15
0.6 mi·1 min·North 8th Street
13
Turn straight onto N-15
0.2 mi·24 sec·Highway 15
14
Continue on N-15
1.3 mi·3 min·North 6th Street
15
Continue on N-15; I 80 Alt
0.9 mi·1 min·South Highway 15
16
Continue on N-15; I 80 Alt
8.1 mi·9 min·280th Road
17
Turn right onto US 6; N-15
0.7 mi·47 sec·Pioneers Road
18
Continue on US 6; N-15
0.4 mi·28 sec·Highway 6
19
Continue on US 6; N-15
4.7 mi·5 min·294th Road
20
Continue on US 6; N-15
2.7 mi·3 min·Highway 6
21
Turn left onto L-76E
0.4 mi·46 sec·Highway 76E
22
Continue on L-76E
0.5 mi·1 min·West Line Road
23
Turn left onto N-33
8.5 mi·10 min·Highway 33
24
Continue on N-33; N-103
0.2 mi·32 sec·West 13th Street
25
Turn left onto Main Avenue
0.2 mi·25 sec·Main Avenue
26
Arrive at destination
Main Avenue
Trip Plan
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 62.2 miles from Norfolk, NE, or about 1h 11m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 43.4 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 27 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 62.2 miles or 1h 11m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Crete, NE than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Norfolk, NE 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 Norfolk, NE
This is one driving day of about 124.4 miles and 2h 28m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from Norfolk, NE.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on South 13th Street for about 43.4 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 0.2 and 124.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|West Pasewalk Avenue
Enter roundabout onto West Pasewalk Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
3
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|US 81 / South 13th Street
Turn left onto US 81 / South 13th Street
Navigation decision point
4
44.1 mi into trip|~49m in|45th Avenue
Turn right onto 45th Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
75.9 mi into trip|~1h 27m in|N-15 / O Road
Turn right onto N-15 / O Road
Navigation decision point
5
124.2 mi into trip|~2h 28m in|Main Avenue
Turn left onto Main Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$19.29 one way
$38.57 round trip
$3.94/gal25.4 MPG avg44 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.32
$21.15
$42.30
premium
$4.93
$24.14
$48.27
diesel
$5.60
$27.42
$54.84
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$19
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$44–$69
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 43.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
37.3
0
$13.06
$5.97
Efficient EV
31.1
0
$10.89
$4.98
EV Truck/SUV
49.8
0
$17.42
$7.96
Gas CO2
44 kg
EV CO2
15 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 Sep 4, 2026
Origin
Norfolk, NE
Afternoon
in Norfolk on Friday
Local time
1:58 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Crete, NE
Afternoon
in Crete on Friday
Local time
1:58 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
86°F
Garrison, NE
62 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
4 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 28m 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.
Homestead National Historical Park
National Historical Park
The Homestead Act of 1862 transformed the world. Millions were invited to file claims including families, women, immigrants, and formerly enslaved people. Over 10 percent of the United States was home...
24 mi from route
~61 min detour
Free
near mile 124.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
124.4 mi in 2h 28m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 43.4 mi on South 13th Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near West Pasewalk Avenue.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Norfolk, NE to Crete, NE is easy. At 2h 28m with 11% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West Pasewalk Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.6 miles (US 81 / South 13th Street): Navigation decision point; at 44.1 miles (45th Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 43.4 miles on South 13th Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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 0.2 miles (West Pasewalk Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.6 miles (US 81 / South 13th Street): Navigation decision point; at 44.1 miles (45th Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Homestead 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 Crete, NE before heading back.
