Salina, KS to Scott City, KS is 226.2 miles and takes about 3h 57m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $40 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Great Plains region, offering a consistent landscape for the entire trip. It's a straightforward, mostly surface road excursion, making it ideal for a single-day trip with minimal planning. You'll find the longest stretch of highway is a significant 176.1 miles, so be prepared for extended periods of consistent driving. Consider this route if you prefer a direct path with minimal fuss and a predictable driving experience across Kansas.
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
113.1 miles from Salina, KS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 57m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
176.1 mi
2h 56m
County Road 440
44.8 mi
50m
North 9th Street
2.5 mi
5m
US 40
2.5 mi
3m
West Iron Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
South 8th Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
West 5th Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 176.1 mi, about 2h 56m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~463 veh/hr typical
· worst 728
Quietest
3 AM
~53 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 51 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 Salina, KS and Scott City, KS.
1
Start on South 8th Street
92 ft·9 sec·South 8th Street
2
Turn left onto West Iron Avenue
279 ft·15 sec·West Iron Avenue
3
Turn right onto North 9th Street
2.5 mi·5 min·North 9th Street
4
Turn left
0.2 mi·32 sec
Toward I 70 West: HaysUse the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 70; US 40
176 mi·2 hr 56 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
6
Take the exit onto US 40
0.2 mi·27 sec·US 40
Toward US 40 West, Oakley, Sharon Springs
7
Turn left onto US 40
2.3 mi·3 min·US 40
8
Turn left onto US 83
45 mi·50 min·County Road 440
9
Turn right onto KS 96
50 ft·1 sec·West 5th Street
10
Arrive at destination
KS 96
Trip Plan
Given the 3-hour 57-minute drive time, you can easily complete this trip in a single day. Departing in the morning will give you ample flexibility for any unscheduled stops or a leisurely pace. The fuel cost is estimated at $40, so be sure to factor that into your budget. Since the longest stretch on the highway is over 176 miles, plan for a fuel stop before or during that segment if you have a smaller tank or want peace of mind. With only one recommended stop, you can be quite spontaneous with your timing.
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 113.1 miles from Salina, KS, or about 1h 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 176.1 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 50 miles or 53m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 113.1 miles or 1h 57m 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 11m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Scott City, KS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Salina, 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 Salina, KS
This is one driving day of about 226.2 miles and 3h 57m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 50 miles from Salina, 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 176.1 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 181.4 — 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 left onto West Iron Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|North 9th Street
Turn right onto North 9th Street
Navigation decision point
7
2.6 mi into trip|~6m in
Turn left toward I 70 West: Hays
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 70 West: Hays
5
178.9 mi into trip|~3h 2m in|US 40
Take the exit onto US 40 toward US 40 West, Oakley, Sharon Springs
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 40 West, Oakley, Sharon Springs
4
181.4 mi into trip|~3h 6m in|US 83 / County Road 440
Turn left onto US 83 / County Road 440
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$33.40 one way
$66.81 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg79 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$36.88
$73.76
premium
$4.72
$42.00
$84.00
diesel
$4.80
$42.71
$85.42
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$33
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$58–$83
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 79.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $24 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
67.9
0
$23.75
$10.86
Efficient EV
56.6
0
$19.79
$9.05
EV Truck/SUV
90.5
1
$31.67
$14.48
Gas CO2
79 kg
EV CO2
26 kg (67% 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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Salina, KS
Late night
in Salina on Sunday
Local time
5:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
94°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
SSW 6 mph18% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Scott City, KS
Late night
in Scott City on Sunday
Local time
5:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
91°F
Sunny
ESE 8 mph0% 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
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
3h 57m 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 primarily on surface roads, with only a small portion on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. You'll spend the majority of your time navigating local roads, including Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, County Road 440, and North 9th Street. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 176.1 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, indicating a significant period of consistent travel before transitioning to other road types. Expect a generally rural cruising feel once you leave the highway segments.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 176.1 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 West Iron Avenue.
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 57m 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 (West Iron Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North 9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
3,027 ft1,226 ft
Total Climb
1,808 ft
Total Descent
55 ft
Highest Point
3,027 ft
~177.7 mi in
Elevation Range
1,801 ft
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 Scott City, KS, road signs point toward Oakley and Sharon Springs.
Oakley
178.9 mi in|~3h 2m|via US 40
Sharon Springs
178.9 mi in|~3h 2m|via US 40
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
The longest stretch is about 176.1 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 20 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: near the start (West Iron Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North 9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 4.0 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.9 hours — manageable with a long break at Scott City, KS, but most travelers stay overnight.
