Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 26m
Distance
44.3 mi
71 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sun City, KS
Fernanda Gomez de la torre
Kiowa, KS
Tien Nguyen
Sun City to Kiowa is 44.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 26 minutes via River Road and US 281, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop across the Great Plains is a straightforward drive between two Kansas towns. You'll spend a good portion of the time on surface roads, offering a more relaxed pace compared to interstate travel. It's a practical choice for a quick connection within the state, fitting easily into a larger itinerary or as a standalone trip.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| River Road | 19.1 mi | 46m |
| US 281 | 18 mi | 26m |
| KS 2 | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| North Iliff Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Fowler Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Stolp Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Sun City, KS and Kiowa, KS.
Start on East Main Street
Continue on River Road
Keep slight right at fork onto River Road
Continue on Main Street
Continue on River Road
Continue on Mingona Road
Keep slight left at fork onto River Road
Continue on West Stolp Avenue
Turn right onto US 281
At end of road, turn right onto US 160; US 281
Turn left onto US 281
Turn left onto KS 2
Turn left onto KS 2
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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.
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 22.2 miles from Sun City, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 39.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork onto River Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Keep slight left at fork onto River Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
At end of road, turn right onto US 160; US 281 / West Fowler Avenue
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto US 281
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto KS 2
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$6.54 one way
$13.08 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.14 | $7.22 | $14.44 |
| premium | $4.72 | $8.23 | $16.45 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $8.36 | $16.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.65 | $2.13 |
| Efficient EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.88 | $1.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.7 | 0 | $6.20 | $2.84 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Sun City on Monday
Local time
4:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Kiowa on Monday
Local time
4:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive is about half on highways (51% highway share) and half on surface roads. You'll navigate 19.1 miles on River Road, which is the longest continuous stretch without a significant change in road type. Expect a mix of cruising on US 281 and KS 2, transitioning to more rural surface road driving as you approach your destination. The road surface profile is varied, so be prepared for a blend of paved highway and potentially less maintained surfaces.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near River Road.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 26m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (River Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.7 miles (River Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 21 miles (US 160; US 281 / West Fowler Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
71 ft
Total Descent
416 ft
Highest Point
1,680 ft
Elevation Range
360 ft
Founded 1872
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 44.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (51%). Straightforward navigation.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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