Junior Williamson Rest Area
0.1 mi from route
Trip from Beattyville, KY to Owensboro, KY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 20, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 48m
Distance
250.4 mi
403 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$42
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 35m
★
6 AM
4h 49m
8 AM
5h 16m
10 AM
4h 58m
12 PM
4h 55m
3 PM
4h 59m
5 PM
5h 14m
8 PM
4h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Beattyville, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Owensboro, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Beattyville, KY to Owensboro, KY is 250.4 miles and takes about 4h 48m via Bluegrass Parkway and Western Kentucky Parkway, with a fuel budget near $39 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip primarily stays within Kentucky, connecting the Southeast region. You'll spend most of your time on well-maintained parkways, making for a straightforward drive. With a recommended one-day drive time, this route is ideal if you're looking for an efficient way to get from point A to point B without extensive planning.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
125.2 miles from Beattyville, KY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 28m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegrass Parkway | 70.6 mi | 1h 15m |
| Western Kentucky Parkway | 59.1 mi | 1h 3m |
| Mountain Parkway | 32.7 mi | 35m |
| I 165 | 28.2 mi | 30m |
| Slade Road | 18.1 mi | 25m |
| I 64 | 17.9 mi | 20m |
| West New Circle Road | 5.8 mi | 8m |
| Versailles Road | 4.5 mi | 6m |
Longest stretch:
Bluegrass Parkway
— 70.6 mi, about 1h 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Beattyville, KY and Owensboro, KY.
1
Start on Bradford Street
86 ft
·
9 sec
·
Bradford Street
2
Turn left onto Main Street
76 ft
·
9 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn left onto KY 11; KY 52
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway
Use the straight lane.
4
Continue on KY 11
18 mi
·
25 min
·
Slade Road
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
6
Merge onto Mountain Parkway
33 mi
·
35 min
·
Mountain Parkway
7
Merge onto I 64
16 mi
·
16 min
·
I 64
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 64
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
I 64
Toward I 64 West, I 75 North: Louisville, Cincinnati
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 113
Toward US 27, US 68: Paris, Lexington
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto US 27; US 68
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
11
Turn right onto US KY4
5.8 mi
·
8 min
·
West New Circle Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 5B
Toward US 60 West: Versailles
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto US 60
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Versailles Road
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on US 60
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Lexington Road
15
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward Elizabethtown
16
Continue on Bluegrass Parkway
71 mi
·
1 hr 15 min
·
Bluegrass Parkway
17
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi
·
1 min
18
Merge onto I 65
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
I 65
19
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 91C-A
Toward KY 61 South: Elizabethtown, Paducah, Western Kentucky Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 91C-B
Toward US 31W: Elizabethtown, Paducah, Western Kentucky Parkway West
21
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward Paducah, Elizabethtown
22
Merge onto Western Kentucky Parkway
59 mi
·
1 hr 3 min
·
Western Kentucky Parkway
23
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 77A
Toward I 165 North: Owensboro
24
Merge onto I 165
28 mi
·
30 min
·
I 165
25
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 70A
Toward US 60 East, US 231 North: Hawesville
26
Merge onto US 60; US 231
0.8 mi
·
53 sec
·
Wendell Ford Expressway
27
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 18
Toward KY 54
28
Turn left onto KY 54
260 ft
·
6 sec
·
Leitchfield Road
29
Continue on KY 54
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
East Parrish Avenue
30
Turn right onto Leitchfield Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Leitchfield Road
31
Turn left onto East 5th Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East 5th Street
32
Turn right onto Frederica Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Frederica Street
33
Arrive at destination
Frederica Street
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 48m estimated drive time, starting in the morning is your best bet to complete this trip in one day. You'll be on the road for nearly five hours, so plan for at least one stop to stretch your legs and refuel. The $39 fuel cost is an estimate, so check current prices before you leave Beattyville. Since this is a single-day drive, you have the flexibility to depart when convenient, but keeping an eye on the longest stretch of 70.6 miles on the Bluegrass Parkway can help you anticipate when to take your break.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 125.2 miles from Beattyville, KY, or about 2h 28m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 70.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 55 miles or 1h 6m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 125.2 miles or 2h 28m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Owensboro, KY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Beattyville, KY so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Beattyville, KY
This is one driving day of about 250.4 miles and 4h 48m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 55 miles from Beattyville, KY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Bluegrass Parkway for about 70.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
125 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 55 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 125.2 miles from Beattyville, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Bluegrass Parkway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 70.6 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Stops Along Your Drive
Picked by where they fit in your drive — first break, midpoint reset, final stretch.
Love's Travel Stop
0.1 mi from route
Service Plaza
0.5 mi from route
Beaver Dam Rest Stop
1.2 mi from route
WK Truck Stop
2.3 mi from route
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 275 decision points cluster between mile 70.3 and 246 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
70.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
Take the exit toward US 27, US 68: Paris, Lexington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 113
Toward US 27, US 68: Paris, Lexington
7
77.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 34m in
Take the exit toward US 60 West: Versailles
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5B
Toward US 60 West: Versailles
8
157.2 mi into trip
|
~3h 3m in
Take the exit toward KY 61 South: Elizabethtown, Paducah, Western Kentucky Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 91C-A
Toward KY 61 South: Elizabethtown, Paducah, Wes...
8
157.4 mi into trip
|
~3h 4m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 31W: Elizabethtown, Paducah, Western Kentucky Parkway West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 91C-B
Toward US 31W: Elizabethtown, Paducah, Western...
7
246 mi into trip
|
~4h 40m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 60 East, US 231 North: Hawesville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 70A
Toward US 60 East, US 231 North: Hawesville
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$41.77 one way
$83.54 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
88 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $45.40 | $90.79 |
| premium | $5.26 | $51.84 | $103.69 |
| diesel | $6.18 | $60.91 | $121.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$42
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$67–$92
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 87.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $26 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 75.1 | 0 | $26.29 | $12.02 |
| Efficient EV | 62.6 | 0 | $21.91 | $10.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 100.2 | 1 | $35.06 | $16.03 |
Gas CO2
88 kg
EV CO2
29 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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.
Origin
Beattyville, KY
Morning in Beattyville on Tuesday
Local time
7:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Areas Of Frost then Sunny
N 2 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 18 at 8:47PM EDT until October 19 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Jackson KY
Destination
Owensboro, KY
Morning in Owensboro on Tuesday
Local time
6:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Sunny
WNW 2 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued October 18 at 8:47PM EDT until October 19 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Jackson KY
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
1 hour earlier
The destination clock does not match departure time, so double-check hotel check-in windows and late arrival plans.
Temperature spread
3 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
4h 48m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
National Historical Park
For over a century people from around the world have come to rural Central Kentucky to honor the humble beginnings of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. His early life on Kentucky's frontier shaped...
11 mi from route
~27 min detour
Free
near mile 146.8
View on nps.gov
Camp Nelson National Monument
National Monument
The US Army established Camp Nelson as a fortified supply depot in April 1863. Over the next 3 years, the site evolved into a massive recruitment and training center for United States Colored Troops a...
17 mi from route
~43 min detour
Free
near mile 86.4
View on nps.gov
Mammoth Cave National Park
National Park
Rolling hills, deep river valleys, and the world's longest known cave system. Mammoth Cave National Park is home to thousands of years of human history and a rich diversity of plant and animal life, e...
21 mi from route
~52 min detour
Free
near mile 181.4
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is 84% highway, so expect a lot of time on the parkways. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 70.6 miles on the Bluegrass Parkway, offering a good period of cruising. As you transition to surface roads, be aware of more frequent exits and potential changes in speed limits. The predominantly highway profile means you'll experience relatively consistent driving conditions for the majority of the trip.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
33 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 70.6 mi on Bluegrass Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Bluegrass Parkway and Western Kentucky Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 70.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 27 significant decision points across 250.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 70.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 77.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 157.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
961 ft
394 ft
Total Climb
654 ft
Total Descent
922 ft
Highest Point
961 ft
~71.6 mi in
Elevation Range
567 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Beattyville, KY and Owensboro, KY, road signs point toward Cincinnati, Lexington, Elizabethtown, Paducah and Western Kentucky Parkway West.
Cincinnati
67.8 mi in
|
~1h 19m
|
via I 64
Lexington
70.3 mi in
|
~1h 23m
Elizabethtown
83.9 mi in
|
~1h 43m
Paducah
157.2 mi in
|
~3h 3m
Western Kentucky Parkway West
157.4 mi in
|
~3h 4m
About the Cities
Starting in Beattyville, KY
Full guide →Founded 1851
Arriving in Owensboro, KY
Full guide →Founded 1797
Owensboro is a town on the banks of the Ohio River in Kentucky's Western Coal Fields. It bills itself as the Barbecue Capital of the World and has had some interesting figures call it home over the years, such as Beulah Annan, whose story inspired the play and movie Chicago; Florence Henderson, aka Carol Brady of The Brady Bunch; NASCAR great Darrell Waltrip (as well as his brother Michael, also a longtime NASCAR driver); and Johnny Depp. On a darker note, it was also the site of the last public hanging in the United States, the subject being an African American, in 1936.
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 4h 48m. Total distance: 250.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 70.6 miles on Bluegrass Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Owensboro, KY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 5 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 70.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 77.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 157.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, Camp Nelson National Monument and Mammoth Cave National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.6 hours — manageable with a long break at Owensboro, KY, but most travelers stay overnight.
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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. 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
More trips to Owensboro, KY
Explore more options from Beattyville, KY or browse trips ending in Owensboro, KY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse KY road trips.