Origin
Valley, NE
Late night in Valley on Sunday
Local time
12:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Valley, NE to Lincoln, NE
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
52.4 mi
84 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
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.
Valley, NE
Magic K
Lincoln, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Valley, NE to Lincoln, NE is 52.4 miles and takes about 1h 8m via County Road 18 and Highway 77, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward drive primarily within Nebraska's Great Plains region. Expect a mixed driving experience, making it a convenient option for a quick trip between these two points. It's a manageable distance for a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. The route is a good choice if you're looking for a simple connection without extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| County Road 18 | 15.4 mi | 17m |
| Highway 77 | 11.7 mi | 13m |
| US 77 | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| County Road 11 | 4.9 mi | 5m |
| County Road R | 4 mi | 5m |
| Ida Street | 3 mi | 5m |
| Cornhusker Highway | 2 mi | 3m |
| North 33rd Street | 2 mi | 4m |
Longest stretch:
County Road 18
— 15.4 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Valley, NE and Lincoln, NE.
1
Start on North Spruce Street
76 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Spruce Street
2
Turn right onto East Gardiner Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Gardiner Street
3
Turn right onto North West Street
325 ft
·
14 sec
·
North West Street
4
Turn left onto West Valley Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Valley Street
5
At end of road, turn right onto North 288th Street
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
·
North 288th Street
6
Turn left onto N-64
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Ida Street
7
At end of road, turn left onto N-64
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
·
County Road 7
8
Turn straight onto N-64
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
County Road R
9
Turn left onto US 77
4.9 mi
·
5 min
·
County Road 11
10
Take the exit onto US 77
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
US 77
11
Enter roundabout onto US 77; N-92
154 ft
·
1 sec
·
Highway 77;Wahoo Expressway
12
Continue on US 77; N-92
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Highway 77;Wahoo Expressway
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Continue on US 77
1.8 mi
·
1 min
·
County Road 18
14
Continue on US 77
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
North Highway 77
15
Continue on US 77
14 mi
·
15 min
·
County Road 18
16
Turn right onto US 6
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Cornhusker Highway
17
Turn left onto North 33rd Street
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
North 33rd Street
18
Continue on South 33rd Street
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
South 33rd Street
19
Turn left onto B Street
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
B Street
20
Arrive at destination
B Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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
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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 4.7 — 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
|
East Gardiner Street
Turn right onto East Gardiner Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North West Street
Turn right onto North West Street
Navigation decision point
4
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
North 288th Street
At end of road, turn right onto North 288th Street
Navigation decision point
4
1.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
N-64 / Ida Street
Turn left onto N-64 / Ida Street
Navigation decision point
5
4.7 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
N-64 / County Road 7
At end of road, turn left onto N-64 / County Road 7
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.19 one way
$16.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.99 | $17.99 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.08 | $20.17 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.57 | $23.14 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.50 | $2.52 |
| Efficient EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.59 | $2.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21 | 0 | $7.34 | $3.35 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Lincoln, NE
Late night in Lincoln on Sunday
Local time
12:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
2 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
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive offers a varied experience with 33% of it on highways, balanced by local roads. You'll encounter a 15.4-mile stretch on County Road 18, which is the longest uninterrupted segment, likely offering a more rural feel. As you transition to Highway 77 and US 77, the pace will pick up, presenting a more typical highway driving experience. The profile is described as a 'mixed drive,' suggesting you'll move from quieter county roads to busier state and federal highways. Expect the road character to evolve as you get closer to Lincoln.
33% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.4 mi on County Road 18.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 early in the drive near East Gardiner Street.
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 13 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 (East Gardiner Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North West Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (North 288th Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Lincoln, NE
Full guide →Lincoln is the capital and second largest city of Nebraska, U.S. As the state capital, it offers several historical sites, as well as museums, art galleries, and other cultural venues.
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: 52.4 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 (33%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.4 miles on County Road 18. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
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 (East Gardiner Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (North West Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (North 288th Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lincoln, NE 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Lincoln, NE
More from Valley, NE
More trips to Lincoln, NE
Explore more options from Valley, NE or browse trips ending in Lincoln, NE.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NE road trips.