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Trip from Salina, KS to Buhler, KS

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 8m

Distance

55.7 mi

90 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Fair

4 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 3m ★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 6m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States

Salina, KS

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Buhler, KS, KS

Buhler, KS

Helena Jankovičová Kováčová

Trip Overview

Salina, KS to Buhler, KS is 55.7 miles and takes about 1h 8m via I 135, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Great Plains region, offering a straightforward drive. It's a practical route for those needing to connect between these two Kansas towns. With a quick travel time, you won't spend much of your day on the road. Consider this a simple transit rather than a destination in itself.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 135 31.2 mi 31m
US 81 Business 12 mi 13m
8th Avenue 3 mi 4m
North Buhler Road 2.7 mi 6m
South Santa Fe Avenue 1.8 mi 3m
US 81 Bus 1.6 mi 1m
South 9th Street 1.1 mi 2m
Buckskin Road 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 135 — 31.2 mi, about 31m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Salina, KS and Buhler, KS.

1

Start on South 8th Street

92 ft · 5 sec · South 8th Street
2

Turn right onto West Iron Avenue

0.1 mi · 34 sec · West Iron Avenue
3

Turn right onto South Santa Fe Avenue

1.8 mi · 3 min · South Santa Fe Avenue
4

At end of road, turn right onto West Claflin Avenue

0.2 mi · 24 sec · West Claflin Avenue
5

Turn left onto South 9th Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · South 9th Street
6

Turn right

140 ft · 5 sec
7

Turn right onto West Magnolia Road

0.3 mi · 49 sec · West Magnolia Road
8

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 32 sec
9

Merge onto I 135; US 81

31 mi · 31 min · I 135; US 81
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward US 81 Business, KS 61, McPherson, Hutchinson
11

Continue on US 81 Bus; KS 61

1.6 mi · 1 min · US 81 Bus; KS 61
12

Continue on US 81 Business; KS 61

12 mi · 13 min · US 81 Business; KS 61
13

Turn left onto Buckskin Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Buckskin Road
14

Turn right onto 8th Avenue

3.0 mi · 4 min · 8th Avenue
15

Continue on North Buhler Road

2.7 mi · 6 min · North Buhler Road
16

Turn left onto West 1st Avenue

0.3 mi · 1 min · West 1st Avenue
17

Turn right onto Old Mill Lane

148 ft · 10 sec · Old Mill Lane
18

Arrive at destination

Old Mill Lane

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Lindsborg, KS, KS

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lindsborg, KS

28 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

City of Lindsborg, KS

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lindsborg, KS

Meal break

The midpoint is around 27.9 miles from Salina, 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 35 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | West Iron Avenue

Turn right onto West Iron Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | South Santa Fe Avenue

Turn right onto South Santa Fe Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
1.9 mi into trip | ~4m in | West Claflin Avenue

At end of road, turn right onto West Claflin Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
2.1 mi into trip | ~4m in | South 9th Street

Turn left onto South 9th Street

Navigation decision point

5
35 mi into trip | ~39m in

Take the exit toward US 81 Business, KS 61, McPherson, Hutchinson

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 81 Business, KS 61, McPherson, Hutchi...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.71 one way

$17.42 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $9.56 $19.12
premium $4.89 $10.72 $21.44
diesel $5.61 $12.30 $24.60

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.7 0 $5.85 $2.67
Efficient EV 13.9 0 $4.87 $2.23
EV Truck/SUV 22.3 0 $7.80 $3.56

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (63% 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 Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Salina, KS

Late night in Salina on Tuesday

Local time

3:58 AM

CDT

Current temp

81°F

Sunny

NNW 15 to 22 mph 12% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 3:18PM CDT until April 17 at 4:00PM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 3:17PM CDT until April 17 at 3:45PM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Destination

Buhler, KS

Late night in Buhler on Tuesday

Local time

3:58 AM

CDT

Current temp

82°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NNW 17 to 23 mph 15% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 3:18PM CDT until April 17 at 4:00PM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 3:17PM CDT until April 17 at 3:45PM CDT by NWS Wichita KS

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

1 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

1h 8m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is primarily a highway-focused experience, with 80% of the route utilizing major highways like I 135 and US 81 Business. You'll encounter one significant uninterrupted stretch of 31.2 miles on I 135. The road character is consistent, largely composed of multi-lane highways. Expect a steady pace for most of your journey before transitioning onto local roads like 8th Avenue as you approach Buhler. It's a predictable drive, prioritizing efficiency.

80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.2 mi on I 135.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 135 and US 81 Business. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Iron Avenue.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 8m drive. You will face about 12 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 (West Iron Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Santa Fe Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles (West Claflin Avenue): Navigation decision point.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Salina, KS and Buhler, KS, road signs point toward Mcpherson and Hutchinson.

Mcpherson

35 mi in | ~39m

Hutchinson

35 mi in | ~39m

About the Cities

Starting in Salina, KS

Full guide →

Salina (sah-LIGH-nah) is the county seat of Saline County in Central Kansas. In 2020, it was home to 47,000 people.

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 8m. Total distance: 55.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (80%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 31.2 miles on I 135. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 3 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. 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: near the start (West Iron Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Santa Fe Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles (West Claflin Avenue): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Buhler, 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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