Topeka sits on Interstate 70, the main east-west highway across Kansas, making it easy to pass through but also easy to miss. It is 65 miles west of Kansas City and about 200 miles east of Wichita.
The Southwest Chief Amtrak service stops at Topeka station on its daily run between Chicago and Los Angeles — but only in the early morning hours (around 3–4 am westbound, 2–3 am eastbound), which limits its practical use for most travellers. The station building, however, is worth seeing.
The nearest airport is Topeka Regional Airport (FOE), which has limited scheduled service. Most visitors flying in use Kansas City International Airport (MCI), about an hour east, or fly into Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT), two hours south. Car rental is straightforward from either.