Origin
Colt, LA
Late night in Colt on Tuesday
Local time
5:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colt, LA to Madisonville, 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
32m
Distance
26 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Colt, LA
Ivanna Di Lorenzo
Madisonville, LA
César O'neill
Trip Overview
This straightforward 26-mile drive from Colt to Madisonville, Louisiana, takes about 32 minutes and is perfectly suited for a single-day trip. You'll primarily be on West Florida Republic Parkway and Highway 21, with 89% of the journey on highways, making it a quick hop within the Southeast region of Louisiana. The estimated fuel cost for this short excursion is around $4, so budget-friendly is an understatement. Given its brevity, this route offers a lot of flexibility for when you choose to depart and what you might do upon arrival without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Florida Republic Parkway | 20.3 mi | 21m |
| Highway 21 | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| State Route 21 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Northshore Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Gause Boulevard West | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Covington Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Airport Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
West Florida Republic Parkway
— 20.3 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colt, LA and Madisonville, LA.
1
Start on US 190
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
Gause Boulevard West
2
Turn left onto Northshore Boulevard
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Northshore Boulevard
3
Continue on Airport Road
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Airport Road
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
5
Merge onto I 12
20 mi
·
21 min
·
West Florida Republic Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 59
Toward LA 21: Madisonville, Covington
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
235 ft
·
7 sec
Toward LA 21 South: Madisonville
8
Turn left onto LA 21
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Highway 21
9
Continue on LA 21
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
State Route 21
10
Continue on LA 21; LA 1077
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Highway 21
11
Continue on LA 21; LA 1077
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Covington Street
12
Turn left onto LA 21
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Saint John Street
13
Continue on LA 21; LA 1077
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Main Street
14
Turn right onto LA 22
77 ft
·
1 sec
·
Highway 22 West
15
Arrive at destination
LA 22
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 25.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
1.4 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m 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
22 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward LA 21: Madisonville, Covington
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: Madisonville, Covington
5
22.4 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward LA 21 South: Madisonville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward LA 21 South: Madisonville
4
25.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
LA 22 / Highway 22 West
Turn right onto LA 22 / Highway 22 West
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.93 one way
$7.85 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $4.31 | $8.62 |
| premium | $4.56 | $4.67 | $9.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.74 | $11.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.73 | $1.25 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.64 | $1.66 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Madisonville, LA
Late night in Madisonville on Tuesday
Local time
5:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
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
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
32m 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?
Expect a highway-focused drive for the majority of your 26 miles. With 89% of the route on main roads like West Florida Republic Parkway and Highway 21, you'll experience efficient travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 20.3 miles on West Florida Republic Parkway, allowing for a consistent pace. This drive prioritizes speed and directness over winding backroads, offering a predictable experience for the driver.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.3 mi on West Florida Republic Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on West Florida Republic Parkway and Highway 21. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in.
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 32m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (I 12 / West Florida Republic Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 22 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
34 ft
5 ft
Total Climb
30 ft
Total Descent
38 ft
Highest Point
34 ft
~13 mi in
Elevation Range
29 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.
On the drive from Colt, LA to Madisonville, LA, road signs begin pointing toward Covington along the way.
Covington
22 mi in
|
~24m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 26 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.3 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: at 1.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles (I 12 / West Florida Republic Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 22 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. 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 Madisonville, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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