Origin
Central, LA
Late night in Central on Tuesday
Local time
3:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Central, LA to Covington, 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
1h 17m
Distance
64.5 mi
104 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Central, LA
Jesus Alfonso
Covington, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Central, LA to Covington, LA is 64.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 17 minutes via West Florida Republic Parkway, Central Throughway, and Sullivan Road, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Louisiana, connecting two points in the Southeast region. With a high highway percentage, expect a fairly direct and efficient drive. It's a straightforward route, making it a convenient option for a quick transfer between these two locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Florida Republic Parkway | 51.8 mi | 55m |
| Central Throughway | 4 mi | 5m |
| Sullivan Road | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| South Tyler Street | 2 mi | 3m |
| O'Neal Lane | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Highway 21 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| O Neal Lane | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West 21st Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
West Florida Republic Parkway
— 51.8 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Central, LA and Covington, LA.
1
Start on LA 408
52 ft
·
8 sec
·
Hooper Road
2
Turn left onto LA 3034
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Sullivan Road
3
Continue on Central Throughway
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Central Throughway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4
Continue on O Neal Lane
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
·
O Neal Lane
5
Continue on O'Neal Lane
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
O'Neal Lane
6
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 12 East: Hammond
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
Merge onto I 12
52 mi
·
55 min
·
West Florida Republic Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 59
Toward LA 21: Covington, Madisonville
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn left onto LA 21
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Highway 21
10
Turn straight onto LA 21
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
South Tyler Street
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn right onto US 190 Business; LA 21
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
West 21st Avenue
12
Keep slight right at fork
89 ft
·
9 sec
13
Turn sharp left
36 ft
·
0 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.3 miles from Central, LA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 64.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
LA 3034 / Sullivan Road
Turn left onto LA 3034 / Sullivan Road
Navigation decision point
7
8.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Turn left toward I 12 East: Hammond
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward I 12 East: Hammond
5
8.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 12 / West Florida Republic Parkway
Merge onto I 12 / West Florida Republic Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
60.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 9m in
Take the exit toward LA 21: Covington, Madisonville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 59
Toward LA 21: Covington, Madisonville
6
64.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
Turn sharp left
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.74 one way
$19.48 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $10.69 | $21.39 |
| premium | $4.56 | $11.58 | $23.15 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.24 | $28.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.3 | 0 | $6.77 | $3.10 |
| Efficient EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.64 | $2.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.8 | 0 | $9.03 | $4.13 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (65% 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
Covington, LA
Late night in Covington on Tuesday
Local time
3:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
86°F
Shenandoah, LA
32 mi in
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 17m 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?
This drive is predominantly highway, with 82% of the route on higher-speed roads. You'll experience a significant stretch of 51.8 miles on the West Florida Republic Parkway. The transition away from the highway will occur as you approach your destination, shifting to surface streets like Sullivan Road. Expect frequent exits and merges typical of a highway environment for most of the trip.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 51.8 mi on West Florida Republic Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on West Florida Republic Parkway and Central Throughway. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near LA 3034 / Sullivan Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 64.5 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (LA 3034 / Sullivan Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles (I 12 / West Florida Republic Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
On the drive from Central, LA to Covington, LA, road signs begin pointing toward Madisonville along the way.
Madisonville
60.5 mi in
|
~1h 9m
About the Cities
Starting in Central, LA
Full guide →Central is a region in Louisiana. This area is also known as Cenla or the Crossroads.
Arriving in Covington, LA
Full guide →Covington is a city in the Florida Parishes of Louisiana. The seat of St. Tammany Parish, it's about an hour's drive north of New Orleans.
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 1h 17m. Total distance: 64.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 51.8 miles on West Florida Republic Parkway. 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: near the start (LA 3034 / Sullivan Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles (I 12 / West Florida Republic Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Covington, 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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