Origin
Fayetteville, AR
Late night in Fayetteville on Tuesday
Local time
4:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fayetteville, AR to Fort Smith, AR
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 4m
Distance
57.2 mi
92 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Trip Overview
Connecting Fayetteville and Fort Smith, this 57.5-mile journey is a straightforward trek through the Southeast region of Arkansas. You can expect to spend about 56 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. Navigating this route will cost you approximately $9 in fuel, keeping your travel expenses low. Because the trip is short, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your schedule around your own pace. Whether you are traveling for business or a quick change of scenery, the direct nature of this drive ensures you reach your destination without much hassle.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 49 | 40.4 mi | 40m |
| US 71 | 6.5 mi | 7m |
| I 40 | 4.3 mi | 4m |
| Grand Avenue | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| South Razorback Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| South Nelson Hackett Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Cato Springs Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 49
— 40.4 mi, about 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fayetteville, AR and Fort Smith, AR.
1
Start on this road
320 ft
·
28 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto South College Avenue
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
South College Avenue
3
Continue on South Nelson Hackett Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
South Nelson Hackett Boulevard
4
Turn slight left onto South School Avenue
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
South School Avenue
5
Turn right onto AR 180
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto AR 16
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Razorback Road
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on AR 265
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
South Cato Springs Road
8
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
Use the left lane.
9
Merge onto I 49
40 mi
·
40 min
·
I 49
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 40 West: Van Buren, Fort Smith
11
Merge onto I 40; US 71
4.3 mi
·
4 min
·
I 40; US 71
12
Take the exit onto US 71
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
US 71
Toward I 540 South, US 71 South: Fort Smith
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 6
Toward Grand Avenue
14
Turn right onto Grand Avenue
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Grand Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Grand Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.6 miles from Fayetteville, AR, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 44 — 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
|
South College Avenue
Turn left onto South College Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
AR 180 / West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Turn right onto AR 180 / West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
AR 16 / South Razorback Road
Turn left onto AR 16 / South Razorback Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
3.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 49
Merge onto I 49
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
44 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 40 West: Van Buren, Fort Smith
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 40 West: Van Buren, Fort Smith
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.64 one way
$17.28 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $9.48 | $18.97 |
| premium | $4.56 | $10.27 | $20.53 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.63 | $25.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.2 | 0 | $6.01 | $2.75 |
| Efficient EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.9 | 0 | $8.01 | $3.66 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Fort Smith, AR
Late night in Fort Smith on Tuesday
Local time
4:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
70°F
Chester, AR
29 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
5 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
1h 4m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route features a 0% highway share. You will primarily navigate via South College Avenue, South Nelson Hackett Boulevard, and South School Avenue. The road demands your full attention due to its local configuration, which offers a different experience than a high-speed expressway. There is no single long, uninterrupted stretch, so you should be prepared for a drive that requires frequent adjustments. It is a practical, ground-level look at the local landscape that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
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: 40.4 mi on I 49.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 49 and US 71. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South College Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 57.2 miles you will encounter 10 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: at 0.1 miles (South College Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (AR 180 / West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (AR 16 / South Razorback Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Fayetteville, AR
Full guide →Fayetteville is a city of 87,000 people (2018) in the Ozarks and the Ozarks Region of Arkansas. It is home for the main campus of the University of Arkansas, and has many characteristics of a college town, including many bars, restaurants and specialty stores. It serves as a regional hub for live music and performances, with several venues. Fayetteville is also part of the booming Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers-Bentonville metropolitan area in Northwest Arkansas, and has experienced dramatic growth since the 1990s. Fayetteville's core area of interest centers around the historic downtown square and Dickson Street, which runs between Highway 71B (also known as College Avenue) and the University of Arkansas campus, and is the "main drag" for restaurants and bars.
Arriving in Fort Smith, AR
Full guide →Fort Smith is in northwest Arkansas and borders Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Sebastian County. The city has a population of 80,286 which makes it the third largest city in Arkansas behind Little Rock and Fayetteville. It is located in the River Valley of Arkansas between the Ouachita mountains in the south and the Boston and Ozark mountains of the north and a gateway city to the Ozarks.
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 4m. Total distance: 57.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 40.4 miles on I 49. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Fort Smith, AR before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 (South College Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (AR 180 / West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (AR 16 / South Razorback Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fort Smith, AR 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Fort Smith, AR
More trips to Fort Smith, AR
Explore more options from Fayetteville, AR or browse trips ending in Fort Smith, AR.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AR road trips.