Origin
Ball, LA
Late night in Ball on Tuesday
Local time
4:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ball, LA to Alexandria, LA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
15m
Distance
9.3 mi
15 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ball, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Alexandria, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Ball to Alexandria is 9.3 miles and takes about 15 minutes via Monroe Highway, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Louisiana, taking you from the Southeast region to another part of the Southeast. It's a quick local drive, perfect for when you just need to get from point A to point B without much fuss. Plan for this to be a single-day trip, as the distance is very manageable.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Monroe Highway | 7.1 mi | 10m |
| North 3rd Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Curtis-Coleman Memorial Bridge | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| 4th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Medical Center Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 5th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Murray Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Monroe Highway
— 7.1 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ball, LA and Alexandria, LA.
1
Start on US 165; LA 1204
192 ft
·
8 sec
·
Monroe Highway
2
Continue on US 165; LA 1204
7.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Monroe Highway
3
Continue on US 71; US 165
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
Curtis-Coleman Memorial Bridge
4
Turn left onto LA 1208-4
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North 3rd Street
5
Turn left onto 5th Street
276 ft
·
17 sec
·
5th Street
6
Turn left onto Medical Center Drive
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Medical Center Drive
7
Continue on 4th Street
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
4th Street
8
Turn left onto Murray Street
159 ft
·
6 sec
·
Murray Street
9
Arrive at destination
Murray Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 7.7 and 9.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
7.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
LA 1208-4 / North 3rd Street
Turn left onto LA 1208-4 / North 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
3
8.8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
5th Street
Turn left onto 5th Street
Navigation decision point
5
8.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Medical Center Drive
Turn left onto Medical Center Drive
Navigation decision point
5
9.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Murray Street
Turn left onto Murray Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.40 one way
$2.81 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $1.54 | $3.08 |
| premium | $4.56 | $1.67 | $3.34 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.05 | $4.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.98 | $0.45 |
| Efficient EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.81 | $0.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.60 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Alexandria, LA
Late night in Alexandria on Tuesday
Local time
4:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
87°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
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
15m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this short journey, with a 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.1 miles along Monroe Highway. You'll be navigating through local streets, including North 3rd Street and crossing the Curtis-Coleman Memorial Bridge, which means you'll be making several turns. This isn't a route for cruising; it's more about direct navigation through populated areas.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.1 mi on Monroe Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 7.7 miles in near LA 1208-4 / North 3rd Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 15m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.7 miles (LA 1208-4 / North 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.8 miles (5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.9 miles (Medical Center Drive): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Alexandria, LA
Full guide →Founded 1818
Alexandria is a historic city, rich in Louisiana history. Civil War historic sites along with easy access to numerous historic locations and Kisatchie National Forest sites make it a city ideal for history enthusiasts and sportsmen.
Top landmarks
- • Arna Wendell Bontemps House — historic house in Louisiana, United States
- • Bolton High School — high school in Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Louisiana
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 15m. Total distance: 9.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.1 miles on Monroe Highway. 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 7.7 miles (LA 1208-4 / North 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.8 miles (5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.9 miles (Medical Center Drive): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Alexandria, LA 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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