Origin
York, NE
Night in York on Saturday
Local time
11:24 PM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from York, NE to Grand Island, NE
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
49 mi
79 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
York, NE
Erwin Bosman
Grand Island, NE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
York to Grand Island is 49 miles and takes about 56m via I 80 and Highway 34, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Nebraska's Great Plains region. It's a straightforward drive, primarily on well-maintained highways, making it an easy addition to a longer journey or a quick transit between these two points. Given its brevity and predictable nature, this route is best suited for travelers looking for efficiency rather than extensive sightseeing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 80 | 34.3 mi | 34m |
| Highway 34 | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Highway 2 | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| US 81 | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| South Stuhr Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Lincoln Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| East Fonner Park Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Locust Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 80
— 34.3 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between York, NE and Grand Island, NE.
1
Start on East 7th Street
276 ft
·
19 sec
·
East 7th Street
2
Turn left onto North Lincoln Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Lincoln Avenue
3
At end of road, turn left onto US 81; I 80 Alternate
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
US 81; I 80 Alternate
4
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 80 west
5
Merge onto I 80
34 mi
·
34 min
·
I 80
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward NE 2: Grand Island
7
Turn right onto N-2; I 80 Alt
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Highway 2
8
Turn left onto US 34; N-2; I 80 Alt
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Highway 34
9
Turn right onto South Stuhr Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Stuhr Road
10
Turn left onto East Fonner Park Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
East Fonner Park Road
11
Turn right onto N-2 Business
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Locust Street
12
Continue on N-2 Business
248 ft
·
4 sec
·
South Locust Street
13
Continue on N-2 Business
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
South Walnut Street
14
Turn right onto West 3rd Street
401 ft
·
17 sec
·
West 3rd Street
15
Arrive at destination
West 3rd Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.5 miles from York, NE, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 48.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Lincoln Avenue
Turn left onto North Lincoln Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
3.4 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward I 80 west
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 80 west
4
38 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward NE 2: Grand Island
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward NE 2: Grand Island
4
46.9 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
East Fonner Park Road
Turn left onto East Fonner Park Road
Navigation decision point
4
48.9 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
West 3rd Street
Turn right onto West 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.66 one way
$15.32 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.41 | $16.82 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.43 | $18.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.82 | $21.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.15 | $2.35 |
| Efficient EV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.29 | $1.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.6 | 0 | $6.86 | $3.14 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Grand Island, NE
Night in Grand Island on Saturday
Local time
11:24 PM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
79°F
Aurora, NE
25 mi in
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
56m 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 is predominantly highway-focused, with 88% of the journey utilizing major roadways like I 80 and Highway 34. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 34.3 miles on I 80, offering a consistent pace. The character of the route is largely defined by these efficient, high-speed segments, minimizing time spent on slower local roads. Expect a straightforward driving experience with minimal distractions as you traverse the flat, open terrain typical of the Great Plains.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 34.3 mi on I 80.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 80 and Highway 34. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North Lincoln 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 56m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Lincoln Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 38 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Arriving in Grand Island, NE
Full guide →Grand Island is a city of 51,000 people (2019) in South Central Nebraska. Grand Island has been given the All-America City Award three times (1955, 1967, and 1981–82) by the National Civic League.
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 56m. Total distance: 49 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 34.3 miles on I 80. 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: at 0.1 miles (North Lincoln Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 3.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 38 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Grand Island, 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.
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