Denver to Omaha road trip: Drive time, distance & best stops

Planning a Denver to Omaha road trip itinerary

A Denver to Omaha road trip takes you from the capital of Colorado to the biggest city in Nebraska.

Top Denver experiences include Rocky Mountain National Park day tours, downtown Denver food tours and chilling guided ghost walks around the Cheeseman Park cemetery.

Top Omaha experiences include electric bike rentalsscavenger hunts and the Henly Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

Denver to Omaha distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Denver to Omaha is 541 miles. That makes for a driving time of around seven hours and 29 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-76 and I-80.

The best stops to add to a Denver to Omaha road trip itinerary are North Platte NE, Kearney NE and Lincoln NE.

Denver to Omaha drive: North Platte NE

North Platte NE is officially home to the largest railroad yard in the world, and you can get a panoramic view over the Bailey Yard from the Golden Spike Tower. Exhibits within the tower celebrate the Union Pacific Railroad, which operates across 23 states.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bill Ranch was the former home of William Cody. Better known as Buffalo Bill, Cody was one of the great characters of the Wild West – a buffalo hunter, a Pony Express rider and a shameless showman.

Denver to Omaha road trip attractions: Kearney NE

There are a few moderately interesting museums in Kearney, Nebraska. The Kearney Area Children’s Museum has plenty of interactivity for the kids, MONA covers art and the Fort Kearney Museum offers glass bottom boat rides.

But easily Kearney’s most prominent attraction is the Great Platte River Road Archway. It straddles the I-80, and you can go inside for exhibits about the Oregon Trail.

Best stops between Denver and Omaha: Lincoln, Nebraska

The most obvious attraction in Lincoln NE is the State Capitol Building, which dominates the landscape with a 400ft tower. Free guided tours leave several times a day.

Other Lincoln experiences include the Sunken Gardens, a former waste dump turned into a gorgeous garden. It’s is especially noted for the tulip displays in spring. And, for art displays with a difference, you can try the International Quilt Museum.

The Flatiron Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Flatiron Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. Photo by 12019/ Pixabay.

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