Bowling Green to Cadiz is 84.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 47 minutes via US 68, with a fuel budget near $13 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Kentucky, connecting the Southeast region from start to finish. You'll experience a mix of road types, making it a straightforward drive. It's a good option for a short, single-day excursion without needing an overnight stay.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
42.4 miles from Bowling Green, KY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 54m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 68
26.4 mi
31m
Hopkinsville Road
15.3 mi
18m
Bowling Green Road
12.4 mi
14m
Russellville Road
10.8 mi
13m
Cadiz Road
9.2 mi
11m
East Jefferson Davis Highway
3.2 mi
3m
Main Street
2.2 mi
3m
West 7th Street
1.3 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
US 68
— 26.4 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bowling Green, KY and Cadiz, KY.
1
Start on this road
321 ft·25 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto Chestnut Street
0.2 mi·46 sec·Chestnut Street
3
Turn right onto East 13th Avenue
480 ft·26 sec·East 13th Avenue
4
Turn left onto State Street
0.2 mi·35 sec·State Street
5
Turn right onto College Heights Boulevard
0.5 mi·1 min·College Heights Boulevard
6
Continue on Avenue of Champions
0.5 mi·1 min·Avenue of Champions
7
Continue on US 68 Business; US 231 Business
11 mi·13 min·Russellville Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on US 68; KY 80
12 mi·13 min·Bowling Green Road
9
Continue on US 68; KY 80
3.2 mi·3 min·East Jefferson Davis Highway
10
Continue on US 68; KY 80
0.6 mi·51 sec·Bowling Green Road
11
Continue on US 68 Business
0.1 mi·12 sec·Franklin Street
12
Continue on US 68 Business
0.2 mi·19 sec·Franklin Road
13
Continue on US 68 Business
373 ft·6 sec·Franklin Street
14
Continue on US 68 Business
0.6 mi·54 sec·East 4th Street
15
Turn right onto US 68 Business; KY 3519
129 ft·5 sec·North Main Street
16
Turn left onto US 68 Business; KY 3519
227 ft·5 sec·West 4th Street
17
Continue on US 68 Business
0.3 mi·23 sec·West 4th Street
18
Continue on US 68 Business
7.9 mi·9 min·Hopkinsville Road
19
Continue on US 68; KY 80
26 mi·31 min·US 68; KY 80
20
Turn right onto US 41; KY 109
0.9 mi·1 min·East 9th Street
21
Continue on US 68; KY 80; KY 109
1.3 mi·2 min·West 7th Street
22
Keep slight left at fork onto US 68; KY 80
9.2 mi·11 min·Cadiz Road
23
Continue on US 68; KY 80
7.4 mi·8 min·Hopkinsville Road
24
Turn right onto US 68 Business
375 ft·7 sec·Merchant Street
25
Continue on US 68 Business
2.2 mi·3 min·Main Street
26
Turn right onto Brown Street
291 ft·8 sec·Brown Street
27
Turn right onto KY 139
243 ft·4 sec·Jefferson Street
28
Arrive at destination
KY 139
Trip Plan
Given the short duration of about 1 hour 47 minutes, you have plenty of flexibility for when to depart. Leaving Bowling Green in the morning allows for an arrival in Cadiz with ample time for the rest of your day. With a fuel cost estimated at $13, filling up before you leave is advisable. The longest stretch without a major change is 26.4 miles on US 68, so plan your stops accordingly if you prefer to break up the driving. There are no specific stops noted, so this is a direct trip.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 42.4 miles from Bowling Green, KY, or about 54m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 26.4 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 19 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 42.4 miles or 54m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cadiz, KY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Bowling Green, KY so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Bowling Green, KY
This is one driving day of about 84.7 miles and 1h 47m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Bowling Green, KY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 68 for about 26.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 28.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Chestnut Street
Turn right onto Chestnut Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|East 13th Avenue
Turn right onto East 13th Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|State Street
Turn left onto State Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.6 mi into trip|~2m in|College Heights Boulevard
Turn right onto College Heights Boulevard
Navigation decision point
4
28.9 mi into trip|~37m in|US 68 Business; KY 3519 / West 4th Street
Turn left onto US 68 Business; KY 3519 / West 4th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.24 one way
$26.48 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg30 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$14.54
$29.08
premium
$4.89
$16.30
$32.60
diesel
$5.61
$18.70
$37.40
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 29.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
25.4
0
$8.89
$4.07
Efficient EV
21.2
0
$7.41
$3.39
EV Truck/SUV
33.9
0
$11.86
$5.42
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026
Origin
Bowling Green, KY
Late night
in Bowling Green on Tuesday
Local time
4:47 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Cadiz, KY
Late night
in Cadiz on Tuesday
Local time
4:47 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
74°F
Russellville, KY
42 mi in
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
16 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 47m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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...
Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant was becoming quite famous as he wrote these words following the surrender of Confederate Fort Donelson on Sunday, February 16, 1862. The Union victory at Fort Donels...
26 mi from route
~66 min detour
Free
near mile 84.7
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 31% highway share, meaning you'll spend a good portion of your time on main roads rather than interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 26.4 miles on US 68. Expect to transition from highway cruising to surface roads, where you'll notice more local traffic and potentially more intersections as you get closer to your destination. The profile is a mix of highway and surface roads.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.4 mi on US 68.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Chestnut Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 47m 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 (Chestnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (East 13th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (State Street): Navigation decision point.
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.4 miles on US 68. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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.
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 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (East 13th Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (State Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Mammoth Cave National Park and Fort Donelson National Battlefield. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cadiz, KY before heading back.
