Origin
Cade, LA
Morning in Cade on Tuesday
Local time
6:30 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cade, LA to Lafayette, 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
18m
Distance
12.5 mi
20 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cade, LA
Miguel Cuenca
Trip Overview
This quick 12.5-mile drive from Cade to Lafayette, Louisiana, should only take you about 18 minutes, making it perfect for a single-day trip. With a minimal fuel cost of around $2, this route is an economical choice. You'll primarily navigate using the Old Spanish Trail Highway North, Southwest Evangeline Thruway, and Southeast Evangeline Thruway. Given its short distance and straightforward nature, this journey is ideal for a casual excursion within the Southeast region of Louisiana.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Old Spanish Trail Highway North | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Southwest Evangeline Thruway | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| Southeast Evangeline Thruway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| East University Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| LA 182 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Southwest Frontage Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Rue Jefferson | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Old Spanish Trail Highway North
— 2.7 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cade, LA and Lafayette, LA.
1
Start on R Babineaux Road
526 ft
·
25 sec
·
R Babineaux Road
2
Turn right onto LA 92-1
107 ft
·
8 sec
·
Smede Highway
3
Turn left onto LA 182
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Old Spanish Trail Highway North
4
Continue on LA 182
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Main Street
5
Continue on LA 182
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
·
Southwest Frontage Road
6
Take the ramp onto LA 182
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
LA 182
7
Keep slight right at fork onto US 90; LA 182
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Southwest Evangeline Thruway
8
Continue on US 90; LA 182
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Southeast Evangeline Thruway
9
Turn left onto East University Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East University Avenue
10
Turn right onto Johnston Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Johnston Street
11
Turn left onto Rue Jefferson
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
Rue Jefferson
12
Turn left onto Rue Vermilion Ouest
335 ft
·
16 sec
·
Rue Vermilion Ouest
13
Arrive at destination
Rue Vermilion Ouest
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 12.5 — 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
|
LA 92-1 / Smede Highway
Turn right onto LA 92-1 / Smede Highway
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
LA 182 / Old Spanish Trail Highway North
Turn left onto LA 182 / Old Spanish Trail Highway North
Navigation decision point
4
5.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
3
10.5 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
East University Avenue
Turn left onto East University Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
12.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Rue Vermilion Ouest
Turn left onto Rue Vermilion Ouest
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.89 one way
$3.78 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $2.07 | $4.14 |
| premium | $4.56 | $2.24 | $4.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.76 | $5.52 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.35
Southwest Evangeline Thruway
(2.5 mi)
$0.18
Southeast Evangeline Thruway
(2.5 mi)
$0.17
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$0
Total
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.31 | $0.60 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5 | 0 | $1.75 | $0.80 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Lafayette, LA
Morning in Lafayette on Tuesday
Local time
6:30 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Mostly Clear
S 0 to 10 mph
0% chance
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
2 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
18m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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 12.5-mile trip. Only about 11% of this route involves highway driving, meaning you'll be on local roads for most of the journey. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.7 miles on the Old Spanish Trail Highway North. This drive offers a feel for local Louisiana roads, with frequent turns and intersections rather than long, open stretches.
Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.7 mi on Old Spanish Trail Highway North.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 0.1 miles in near LA 92-1 / Smede Highway.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 7 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 (LA 92-1 / Smede Highway): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (LA 182 / Old Spanish Trail Highway North): Navigation decision point; at 5.5 miles (US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
About the Cities
Arriving in Lafayette, LA
Full guide →Lafayette is a city in Louisiana. It's the unofficial capital of Acadiana or Cajun Country. This flourishing moderate sized city is home to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Music and dancing is an integral part of community life. Several restaurants and dance halls thrive in the area and the city hosts several musical festivals throughout the year.
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 18m. Total distance: 12.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (11%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.7 miles on Old Spanish Trail Highway North. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.35 in tolls one way, starting with Southwest Evangeline Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 (LA 92-1 / Smede Highway): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (LA 182 / Old Spanish Trail Highway North): Navigation decision point; at 5.5 miles (US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lafayette, 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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