Park, KS to Soldier, KS is 277.3 miles and takes about 5h 1m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $42 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward drive across Kansas. With a low highway percentage, expect a more rural cruising experience for much of the way. This route is best suited for those who appreciate a relaxed pace and don't mind spending time on surface roads. It's a manageable single-day trip with minimal fuss.
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
138.7 miles from Park, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 21m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
174.9 mi
2h 54m
KS 16
33.9 mi
42m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
27.7 mi
27m
Highway 13
14.6 mi
18m
KS 18
11.3 mi
12m
South Seth Child Road
5.6 mi
8m
E Road
4.8 mi
8m
KS 211
1.1 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 174.9 mi, about 2h 54m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~534 veh/hr typical
· worst 775
Quietest
3 AM
~59 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 52 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 Park, KS and Soldier, KS.
For this 5-hour drive, leaving in the morning is ideal to maximize daylight, especially since it's a single-day trip. You'll have one designated stop, but feel free to break up the 174.9-mile stretch on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway if needed. Keep an eye on your fuel, as the estimated cost is $42, and services might be more spaced out once you're off the main highway. The flexibility of this route means you can adjust your pace based on how you feel and any unexpected roadside interests you might discover on the surface roads.
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 138.7 miles from Park, KS, or about 2h 21m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 174.9 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 61 miles or 1h 3m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 138.7 miles or 2h 21m 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 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Soldier, KS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Park, 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 Park, KS
This is one driving day of about 277.3 miles and 5h 1m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 61 miles from Park, 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 Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for about 174.9 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 and 221.7 — 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|4th Street
Turn right onto 4th Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|Main Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|Old Highway 40
Turn right onto Old Highway 40
Navigation decision point
7
216 mi into trip|~3h 40m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
221.7 mi into trip|~3h 49m in|US 24 / Tuttle Creek Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto US 24 / Tuttle Creek Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$40.95 one way
$81.90 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg97 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$45.21
$90.42
premium
$4.72
$51.49
$102.97
diesel
$4.80
$52.36
$104.72
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$41
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$66–$91
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 97 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
83.2
1
$29.12
$13.31
Efficient EV
69.3
0
$24.26
$11.09
EV Truck/SUV
110.9
1
$38.82
$17.75
Gas CO2
97 kg
EV CO2
32 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Park, KS
Late night
in Park on Sunday
Local time
1:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Mostly Clear
S 5 to 10 mph4% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Soldier, KS
Late night
in Soldier on Sunday
Local time
1:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Mostly Clear
S 5 mph3% chanceLive forecast
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
5 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
5h 1m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 22% of this 277.3-mile drive on highways, primarily the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The longest continuous stretch on this highway is 174.9 miles. After leaving the main highway, the route transitions to mostly surface roads, which means you'll likely experience more frequent intersections and potentially slower speeds. The feel is more about cruising through Kansas towns and countryside than high-speed travel.
Only 22% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 174.9 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 4th 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 5h 1m drive. You will face about 17 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 (4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Old Highway 40): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 174.9 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 21 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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 21 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (4th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Old Highway 40): Navigation decision point.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.0 hours each way, a round trip means 10.1 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Soldier, KS before the return drive.
