Osborne, KS to Shawnee, KS is 255.4 miles and takes about 4h 51m via KS 18 and the Kansas Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $40 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward drive across Kansas. With a highway share of 58%, you'll experience a mix of faster-paced travel and more local cruising. It's a single-day trip that's easy to manage, especially if you're looking for a direct route between these two points.
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
127.7 miles from Osborne, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 33m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
KS 18
98.1 mi
1h 55m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
74.6 mi
1h 16m
Kansas Turnpike
48.7 mi
49m
South 1st Street
22.1 mi
28m
South 59th Street
2.8 mi
5m
Milford Lake Road South
2.4 mi
3m
North 170th Road
1.6 mi
1m
Turner Diagonal
1.2 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
KS 18
— 98.1 mi, about 1h 55m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,096 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,425
Quietest
2 AM
~79 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 104 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 Osborne, KS and Shawnee, KS.
For this 4-hour, 51-minute drive, leaving in the morning is your best bet to maximize daylight. The trip has just one recommended stop, so consider breaking up the 98.1-mile stretch on KS 18 midway for a stretch and to refuel. Given the manageable distance and $40 fuel cost, this is easily a single-day excursion. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially before starting the longest stretch on KS 18, as services might be less frequent in those sections.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 127.7 miles from Osborne, KS, or about 2h 33m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 98.1 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 56 miles or 1h 8m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 127.7 miles or 2h 33m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 57m
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 Osborne, 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 Osborne, KS
This is one driving day of about 255.4 miles and 4h 51m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 56 miles from Osborne, 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 KS 18 for about 98.1 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 17
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 249 — 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|West Main Street
Turn left onto West Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
84.4 mi into trip|~1h 42m in|KS 18 / North 170th Road
At end of road, turn left onto KS 18 / North 170th Road
Navigation decision point
6
199.4 mi into trip|~3h 47m 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
248.8 mi into trip|~4h 37m in
Take the exit toward College Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 415
Toward College Parkway
8
249 mi into trip|~4h 38m 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
$42.60 one way
$85.21 round trip
$4.24/gal25.4 MPG avg89 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.62
$46.48
$92.97
premium
$5.25
$52.82
$105.64
diesel
$6.28
$63.11
$126.21
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
$43
Tolls
$2
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$70–$95
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 89.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $27 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
76.6
0
$26.82
$12.26
Efficient EV
63.9
0
$22.35
$10.22
EV Truck/SUV
102.2
1
$35.76
$16.35
Gas CO2
89 kg
EV CO2
30 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Osborne, KS
Morning
in Osborne on Thursday
Local time
6:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny
SE 5 to 10 mph10% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Shawnee, KS
Morning
in Shawnee on Thursday
Local time
6:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Partly Sunny
SSE 7 mph0% chanceLive forecast
61°F
Louisville, KS
128 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
4h 51m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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,...
2 mi from route
~6 min detour
Free
near mile 193.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route covers 255.4 miles, with 58% of it on highways like KS 18 and the Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 98.1 miles on KS 18, which means extended periods of consistent driving. The profile is mixed highway and surface, so expect the transition from higher-speed roads to more local surface streets as you approach your destination. Given the highway percentage, anticipate some merging and faster travel segments.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 98.1 mi on KS 18.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 17 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near West Main Street.
Driving Effort5/10
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 255.4 miles you will encounter 17 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 0.1 miles (West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 84.4 miles (KS 18 / North 170th Road): Navigation decision point; at 199.4 miles (I 70 / Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,712 ft887 ft
Total Climb
560 ft
Total Descent
1,048 ft
Highest Point
1,712 ft
~18.9 mi in
Elevation Range
825 ft
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 Osborne, KS to Shawnee, KS, road signs begin pointing toward Kansas City along the way.
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 51m. Total distance: 255.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). 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 98.1 miles on KS 18. 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 11 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.
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.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 84.4 miles (KS 18 / North 170th Road): Navigation decision point; at 199.4 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.
Possible but tiring. At 4.9 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.7 hours — manageable with a long break at Shawnee, KS, but most travelers stay overnight.
