Origin
DeRidder, LA
Late night in DeRidder on Tuesday
Local time
4:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from DeRidder, LA to Lake Charles, 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
59m
Distance
48.1 mi
77 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
DeRidder, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Lake Charles, LA
Liisbet Luup
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward journey in Southeast Louisiana, the 48.1-mile trek from DeRidder to Lake Charles is an ideal choice. You can easily complete this drive in about 59 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of just $7, the route is highly economical for those moving between these two points. Because the trip is short, you do not need to worry about overnight logistics or complex planning. Whether you are heading south for business or leisure, you will find this transition between DeRidder and Lake Charles to be efficient and uncomplicated.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 171 | 37.5 mi | 43m |
| Martin Luther King Highway | 4.5 mi | 7m |
| West 1st Street | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| Enterprise Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| I 10 | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| South Pine Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Highway 171
— 37.5 mi, about 43m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between DeRidder, LA and Lake Charles, LA.
1
Start on LA 27
155 ft
·
6 sec
·
South Pine Street
2
Turn right onto US 171; US 190
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
West 1st Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Continue on US 171; US 190
38 mi
·
43 min
·
Highway 171
4
Continue on US 171
4.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Martin Luther King Highway
5
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
6
Merge onto I 10
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
I 10
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
8
Turn straight onto US 90 Bus
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Enterprise Boulevard
9
Continue on Enterprise Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Enterprise Boulevard
10
Arrive at destination
Enterprise Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.1 miles from DeRidder, 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
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 46.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 171; US 190 / West 1st Street
Turn right onto US 171; US 190 / West 1st Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
3
44.6 mi into trip
|
~53m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
3
45 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
I 10
Merge onto I 10
Merge point - match speed before joining
3
46.2 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.26 one way
$14.53 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $7.97 | $15.95 |
| premium | $4.56 | $8.63 | $17.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.62 | $21.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.05 | $2.31 |
| Efficient EV | 12 | 0 | $4.21 | $1.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.2 | 0 | $6.73 | $3.08 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Lake Charles, LA
Late night in Lake Charles on Tuesday
Local time
4:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
59m 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 experience as you navigate this route, with roughly 80% of your time spent on major roads. Your primary path relies on Highway 171, Martin Luther King Highway, and West 1st Street to guide you to your destination. You will spend the bulk of your time on the road tackling a 37.5-mile stretch on Highway 171, which serves as the longest uninterrupted portion of the trip. Behind the wheel, you will notice a consistent pace that transitions from the local feel of DeRidder into the more developed corridors near Lake Charles. It is a functional, direct drive that favors speed and reliability over winding, technical paths.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 37.5 mi on Highway 171.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Highway 171 and Martin Luther King Highway. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 171; US 190 / West 1st Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from DeRidder, LA to Lake Charles, LA is easy. At 59m with 80% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 171; US 190 / West 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 44.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 45 miles (I 10): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
202 ft
3 ft
Total Climb
18 ft
Total Descent
209 ft
Highest Point
202 ft
Elevation Range
200 ft
About the Cities
Starting in DeRidder, LA
Full guide →De Ridder is a small city in Louisiana. It can boast of being the hometown of Chris Cagle.
Arriving in Lake Charles, LA
Full guide →Lake Charles is the second-largest city in the Acadiana region of Louisiana, with 87,000 residents in 2022. It is well known for gaming and the great outdoors, culinary delights and rhythm and blues. There are over 75 annual festivals from the splendor of Mardi Gras to the swashbuckling days of the Contraband Days Pirate Festival, there is something going on nearly every weekend.
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 59m. Total distance: 48.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 37.5 miles on Highway 171. 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: near the start (US 171; US 190 / West 1st Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 44.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 45 miles (I 10): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lake Charles, 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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