Papillion, NE to Superior, NE is 175.9 miles and takes about 3h 14m via I 80 and Highway 8, with a fuel budget near $28 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Nebraska, traversing the Great Plains region for its entirety. Given the relatively short duration and primarily highway profile, it's a straightforward trip for a single day. You'll find the route offers a consistent pace, making it ideal for those looking for an efficient transit between these two points.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
88 miles from Papillion, NE
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 36m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 80
85.3 mi
1h 29m
South Lincoln Avenue
58.1 mi
1h 2m
Highway 8
22.9 mi
26m
Highway 370
6.3 mi
9m
East 3rd Street
1.3 mi
2m
South Washington Street
1 mi
2m
North Commercial Avenue
0.1 mi
<1m
East Lincoln Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 85.3 mi, about 1h 29m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 52 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,461 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,028
Quietest
2 AM
~136 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
10.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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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 Papillion, NE and Superior, NE.
1
Start on East Lincoln Street
197 ft·16 sec·East Lincoln Street
2
Turn left onto N-85
1.0 mi·2 min·South Washington Street
3
Turn right onto N-370
6.3 mi·9 min·Highway 370
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left
0.4 mi·29 sec
Toward I 80 West: LincolnUse the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 80
85 mi·1 hr 29 min·I 80
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Toward US 81: York, Geneva
7
Turn left onto US 81; I 80 Alternate
58 mi·1 hr 2 min·South Lincoln Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn right onto N-8
23 mi·26 min·Highway 8
9
Continue on N-8
1.3 mi·2 min·East 3rd Street
10
Turn right onto North Commercial Avenue
0.1 mi·32 sec·North Commercial Avenue
11
Arrive at destination
North Commercial Avenue
Trip Plan
For this single-day trip, leaving Papillion in the morning will give you plenty of daylight to reach Superior. The drive is under 3.5 hours, so you'll likely only need one brief stop. Consider gassing up before you leave Papillion, as fuel stops might be less frequent once you're on Highway 8. The 85.3-mile stretch on I 80 means you can cover a lot of ground efficiently before needing to navigate smaller state highways.
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 88 miles from Papillion, NE, or about 1h 36m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 85.3 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 39 miles or 45m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 88 miles or 1h 36m 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 37m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Superior, NE than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Papillion, 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 Papillion, NE
This is one driving day of about 175.9 miles and 3h 14m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 39 miles from Papillion, NE.
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 I 80 for about 85.3 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 93.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|N-85 / South Washington Street
Turn left onto N-85 / South Washington Street
Navigation decision point
5
1 mi into trip|~2m in|N-370 / Highway 370
Turn right onto N-370 / Highway 370
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
7.3 mi into trip|~11m in
Turn left toward I 80 West: Lincoln
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 80 West: Lincoln
5
93 mi into trip|~1h 41m in
Take the exit toward US 81: York, Geneva
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 81: York, Geneva
4
93.3 mi into trip|~1h 42m in|US 81; I 80 Alternate / South Lincoln Avenue
Turn left onto US 81; I 80 Alternate / South Lincoln Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$23.89 one way
$47.78 round trip
$3.45/gal25.4 MPG avg62 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$3.85
$26.66
$53.32
premium
$4.15
$28.74
$57.48
diesel
$3.75
$25.97
$51.94
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$24
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$49–$74
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 61.5 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $18 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
52.8
0
$18.47
$8.44
Efficient EV
44
0
$15.39
$7.04
EV Truck/SUV
70.4
0
$24.63
$11.26
Gas CO2
62 kg
EV CO2
21 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 Oct 17, 2026
Origin
Papillion, NE
Morning
in Papillion on Sunday
Local time
9:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Superior, NE
Morning
in Superior on Sunday
Local time
9:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Widespread Frost then Sunny
SSW 5 to 15 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 17 at 3:54AM CDT until October 17 at 10:00AM CDT by NWS North Platte NE
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 16 at 8:40AM MDT until October 17 at 9:00AM MDT by NWS Goodland KS
58°F
York, NE
88 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
3h 14m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly highway, with 65% of the route on major roads like I 80. You'll experience a long stretch of 85.3 miles on I 80 before transitioning to South Lincoln Avenue and then Highway 8. Expect rural cruising for a significant portion, with fewer exits once you leave the interstate.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 85.3 mi on I 80.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and South Lincoln Avenue. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near N-85 / South Washington Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 14m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (N-85 / South Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (N-370 / Highway 370): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,646 ft1,009 ft
Total Climb
830 ft
Total Descent
243 ft
Highest Point
1,646 ft
~163.3 mi in
Elevation Range
637 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 Papillion, NE to Superior, NE, road signs begin pointing toward Geneva along the way.
Papillion is a small town in Sarpy County, Nebraska, just southwest of Omaha and west of the Missouri river. The City of Papillion (French, for the word butterfly) was founded in 1870. Legend has it that Frenchmen visited the broad valley where Papillion is now located, finding it overgrown with luxuriant grasses and multitudes of wild flowers. Swarms of butterflies flitted about in the sunlight and enthralled by the beautiful sight, one member exclaimed, "Papillion!"
Top landmarks
•Third Sarpy County Courthouse — historic building in Papillion, Nebraska
•John Sautter Farmhouse — farmhouse in Papillion, Nebraska, United States
The longest stretch is about 85.3 miles on I 80. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 12 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.
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: near the start (N-85 / South Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (N-370 / Highway 370): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 3.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.5 hours — manageable with a long break at Superior, NE, but most travelers stay overnight.
