Origin
Overland Park, KS
Late night in Overland Park on Tuesday
Local time
5:26 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Overland Park, KS to Atchison, KS
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
1h 17m
Distance
58.4 mi
94 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Overland Park, KS
Sam McCool
Atchison, KS
Tien Nguyen
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick escape from Overland Park, the 58.4-mile trip to Atchison is a straightforward journey that takes about 1 hour and 17 minutes. You can easily complete this drive in a single day, making it an ideal choice for a spontaneous outing. Expect to spend roughly $9 on fuel for the round trip, which keeps the excursion budget-friendly. Because both cities are located within the Great Plains region of Kansas, you will enjoy a consistent landscape throughout your travels. Navigating this path requires a bit of attention as it relies on local streets rather than major interstates. It is a practical, no-fuss route that gets you from point A to point B without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 29 | 16.8 mi | 18m |
| 45 Highway | 13.7 mi | 18m |
| Harry Darby Memorial Highway | 12.4 mi | 14m |
| 273 Highway | 4.7 mi | 6m |
| Metcalf Avenue | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| Southwest 59 Highway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Southwest 45 Highway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Amelia Earhart Bridge | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 29
— 16.8 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Overland Park, KS and Atchison, KS.
1
Start on this road
134 ft
·
13 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto West 81st Street
182 ft
·
12 sec
·
West 81st Street
3
Turn left onto Marty Street
482 ft
·
23 sec
·
Marty Street
4
Turn right onto West 80th Street
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
West 80th Street
5
Turn left onto Metcalf Avenue
3.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Metcalf Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 635
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Harry Darby Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 635
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Harry Darby Memorial Highway
Use the slight left lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 635
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Harry Darby Memorial Highway
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 12A
Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport, Saint Joseph
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto I 29; US 71
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 29; US 71
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 29; I 435; US 71
2.7 mi
·
2 min
·
I 29; I 435; US 71
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 29; US 71
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
I 29; US 71
Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: Saint Joseph
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 20
Toward MO 273 North: Tracy, Weston
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto MO 273; MO 371
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
273 Highway
15
Continue on MO 273
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
273 Highway
16
Turn right onto MO 45; MO 273
14 mi
·
18 min
·
45 Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Continue on MO 45; MO 273
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Southwest 45 Highway
Use the left lane.
18
Turn left onto US 59; MO 273
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Southwest 59 Highway
Use the left lane.
19
Continue on US 59; MO 273
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Amelia Earhart Bridge
20
Turn right onto South 4th Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
South 4th Street
21
Turn left onto Kansas Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Kansas Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
Kansas Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.2 miles from Overland Park, KS, 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 175 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 33.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Metcalf Avenue
Turn left onto Metcalf Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
4.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 635 / Harry Darby Memorial Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 635 / Harry Darby Memorial Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
12.3 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 635 / Harry Darby Memorial Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 635 / Harry Darby Memorial Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
9
16.5 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport, Saint Joseph
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 12A
Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport,...
8
33.8 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward MO 273 North: Tracy, Weston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 20
Toward MO 273 North: Tracy, Weston
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.13 one way
$18.26 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.02 | $20.05 |
| premium | $4.89 | $11.24 | $22.48 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.89 | $25.79 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.5 | 0 | $6.13 | $2.80 |
| Efficient EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.11 | $2.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.4 | 0 | $8.18 | $3.74 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Atchison, KS
Late night in Atchison on Tuesday
Local time
5:26 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
65°F
Riverside, MO
29 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
3 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 17m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. You will navigate via West 81st Street, Marty Street, and West 80th Street, which means your path is defined by local maneuvers rather than long, monotonous highway stretches. With a highway share of 0%, this route avoids the fast-paced, high-speed experience of the interstate system entirely. The road transitions feel personal and immediate as you wind through the local grid. Because there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, you should be prepared for frequent adjustments in speed and direction as you make your way toward your destination.
Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.8 mi on I 29.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Metcalf Avenue.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.4 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 0.3 miles (Metcalf Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (I 635 / Harry Darby Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.3 miles (I 635 / Harry Darby Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Between Overland Park, KS and Atchison, KS, road signs point toward Saint Joseph and Weston.
Saint Joseph
16.5 mi in
|
~22m
Weston
33.8 mi in
|
~42m
About the Cities
Starting in Overland Park, KS
Full guide →Overland Park is a city in northeastern Kansas within the Kansas City metropolitan area. It is a melting-pot of both urban and suburban living. With 197,000 residents (2020), it is one of the most affluent cities in the U.S.
Arriving in Atchison, KS
Full guide →Atchison is one of the Midwest's most historic and charming towns, in Eastern Kansas. Atchison has a population of 11021.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 58.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.8 miles on I 29. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Atchison, 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 0.3 miles (Metcalf Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (I 635 / Harry Darby Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.3 miles (I 635 / Harry Darby Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Atchison, KS 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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