Carlisle, KY to Covington, KY is 76.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 53 minutes via AA Highway and Oakland Road, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive primarily stays within the Southeast region, connecting two points in Kentucky. You'll mostly be on surface roads, making it a more leisurely trip than a highway-heavy route. With only 12% of the drive on highways, this is a good option if you prefer seeing more of the local landscape and don't need to get there as quickly as possible.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
38.4 miles from Carlisle, KY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 56m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
AA Highway
30 mi
40m
Oakland Road
10.3 mi
15m
KY 165
9.5 mi
14m
Maysville Road
7.4 mi
8m
Licking Pike
5.8 mi
9m
Wellsburg-Walcott Road
3.8 mi
6m
Brooksville-Powersville Road
3 mi
4m
Lake Road
2.4 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
AA Highway
— 30 mi, about 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carlisle, KY and Covington, KY.
1
Start on KY 36
77 ft·3 sec·East Main Street
2
Turn right onto KY 32
0.3 mi·36 sec·North Broadway Street
3
Continue on KY 32
0.4 mi·42 sec·Myers Road
4
Turn left onto KY 1455
2.4 mi·3 min·Lake Road
5
At end of road, turn right onto KY 1455; US 68
7.4 mi·8 min·Maysville Road
6
Turn left onto KY 165
1.3 mi·2 min·KY 165
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on KY 165
8.2 mi·12 min·KY 165
8
Turn left onto US 62; KY 165
0.3 mi·26 sec·West Walnut Street
9
Turn right onto KY 165
10 mi·15 min·Oakland Road
10
Continue on KY 19
0.9 mi·1 min·Powersville Harrison County Road
11
Continue on KY 10; KY 19
3.0 mi·4 min·Brooksville-Powersville Road
12
Continue on KY 10; KY 19
0.6 mi·57 sec·Frankfort Street
13
At end of road, turn left onto KY 1159
0.5 mi·54 sec·West Miami Street
14
Continue on KY 1159
372 ft·7 sec·Bladeston Drive
15
Continue on KY 1159
3.8 mi·6 min·Wellsburg-Walcott Road
16
Turn left onto KY 9; AA
30 mi·40 min·AA Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Continue on KY 9; AA
5.8 mi·9 min·Licking Pike
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto West 12th Street
464 ft·23 sec·West 12th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Turn left onto Brighton Street
0.1 mi·25 sec·Brighton Street
20
Turn left onto KY 1120
0.2 mi·34 sec·West 11th Street
21
Continue on KY 1120
0.1 mi·16 sec·East Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
22
Turn right onto KY 1120
492 ft·18 sec·Prospect Avenue
23
Turn left onto KY 1120
0.4 mi·1 min·East 11th Street
Use the straight lane.
24
Turn right onto Madison Avenue
0.3 mi·1 min·Madison Avenue
25
Turn right onto East 7th Street
455 ft·19 sec·East 7th Street
26
Arrive at destination
East 7th Street
Trip Plan
Given the 1 hour and 53 minute estimated drive time, this trip is easily completed in a single day. To maximize your flexibility, consider departing mid-morning after rush hour, allowing you to arrive in Covington with ample time. Since the longest continuous stretch on a main road is 30 miles on the AA Highway, you won't need to worry about long periods without services. With a fuel cost estimated at $12, filling up before you leave Carlisle is a practical approach, as dedicated rest stops are not indicated on this particular route.
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 38.4 miles from Carlisle, KY, or about 56m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 30 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 17 miles or 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 38.4 miles or 56m 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 33m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Covington, KY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Carlisle, KY so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Carlisle, KY
This is one driving day of about 76.7 miles and 1h 53m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Carlisle, KY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on AA Highway for about 30 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 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.1 and 75.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
3.1 mi into trip|~5m in|KY 1455; US 68 / Maysville Road
At end of road, turn right onto KY 1455; US 68 / Maysville Road
Navigation decision point
6
10.6 mi into trip|~14m in|KY 165
Turn left onto KY 165
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
35.1 mi into trip|~51m in|KY 1159 / West Miami Street
At end of road, turn left onto KY 1159 / West Miami Street
Navigation decision point
6
39.5 mi into trip|~58m in|KY 9; AA / AA Highway
Turn left onto KY 9; AA / AA Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
75.4 mi into trip|~1h 49m in|West 12th Street
Turn right onto West 12th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.99 one way
$23.98 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg27 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$13.17
$26.33
premium
$4.89
$14.76
$29.52
diesel
$5.61
$16.93
$33.87
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 26.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
23
0
$8.05
$3.68
Efficient EV
19.2
0
$6.71
$3.07
EV Truck/SUV
30.7
0
$10.74
$4.91
Gas CO2
27 kg
EV CO2
9 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
Carlisle, KY
Morning
in Carlisle on Tuesday
Local time
8:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Covington, KY
Morning
in Covington on Tuesday
Local time
8:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
53°F
Augusta, KY
38 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
23 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 53m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features 12% highway driving, with the bulk of your travel on surface roads. You'll encounter a 30-mile stretch on the AA Highway before transitioning to surface roads like Oakland Road and KY 165. Expect a consistent pace on these roads, with limited opportunities for high-speed travel. Drivers will notice the shift from any highway cruising to more local road conditions.
Only 12% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30 mi on AA Highway.
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 3.1 miles in near KY 1455; US 68 / Maysville Road.
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 53m drive. You will face about 15 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.1 miles (KY 1455; US 68 / Maysville Road): Navigation decision point; at 10.6 miles (KY 165): Lane positioning matters here; at 35.1 miles (KY 1159 / West Miami Street): Navigation decision point.
Covington is a city in Kentucky's Northern Ohio River Region across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the largest city in Northern Kentucky.
Covington is pretty much the southern side of Cincinnati, with similar architecture (though far better preserved if not in the best of shape) and a shared history linked by the historic Roebling Suspension Bridge and the Ohio River. Like its eastern neighbor, Newport, it has profited from revitalization.
The longest stretch is about 30 miles on AA 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 3.1 miles (KY 1455; US 68 / Maysville Road): Navigation decision point; at 10.6 miles (KY 165): Lane positioning matters here; at 35.1 miles (KY 1159 / West Miami Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Covington, KY before heading back.
