Florence, MS to Southaven, MS is 207.4 miles and takes about 3h 50m via MS 469 and Highway 49 South, with a fuel budget near $31 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Mississippi, moving you from the Southeast region to another part of the Southeast. You'll primarily be on surface roads, offering a more local feel compared to a highway-dominated route. With only one recommended stop and a drive under four hours, this is a straightforward trip suitable for a single day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
103.7 miles from Florence, MS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 56m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 55
195.7 mi
3h 31m
Highway 49 South
8.3 mi
11m
US 49
1.8 mi
2m
MS 469
0.4 mi
<1m
Stateline Road West
0.4 mi
<1m
Millbranch Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Haleville Drive
0.2 mi
<1m
Five Oaks Drive North
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 55
— 195.7 mi, about 3h 31m
Traffic on I-55
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 114 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,533 veh/hr typical
· worst 2,913
Quietest
2 AM
~154 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 103 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Florence, MS and Southaven, MS.
1
Start on MS 469
0.4 mi·47 sec·MS 469
2
Turn left onto US 49
8.3 mi·11 min·Highway 49 South
3
Take the exit onto US 49
0.2 mi·21 sec·US 49
4
Keep slight left at fork onto US 49
0.7 mi·1 min·US 49
Toward Jackson
5
Keep slight right at fork onto US 49
0.9 mi·1 min·US 49
6
Merge onto I 55
196 mi·3 hr 31 min·I 55
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Toward Southaven, Horn Lake
8
Turn left onto Stateline Road West
0.4 mi·53 sec·Stateline Road West
9
Turn left onto Millbranch Road
0.2 mi·36 sec·Millbranch Road
10
Turn right onto Haleville Drive
0.2 mi·53 sec·Haleville Drive
11
Turn left onto Five Oaks Drive North
0.1 mi·28 sec·Five Oaks Drive North
12
Arrive at destination
Five Oaks Drive West
Trip Plan
Given the drive is under four hours and mostly surface roads, you have flexibility with your departure time. Leaving Florence, MS in the morning will likely get you to Southaven, MS with plenty of daylight remaining. Plan for one stop along the way, perhaps around Jackson, to break up the 207.4 miles. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially as you pass through smaller towns where stations might be less frequent. The estimated fuel cost of $31 should give you a good baseline for budgeting.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 103.7 miles from Florence, MS, or about 1h 56m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 195.7 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 46 miles or 53m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 103.7 miles or 1h 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 3h 7m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Southaven, MS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Florence, MS so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Florence, MS
This is one driving day of about 207.4 miles and 3h 50m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 46 miles from Florence, MS.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 55 for about 195.7 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 8.9 and 207.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
8.9 mi into trip|~12m in|US 49
Keep slight left at fork onto US 49 toward Jackson
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Jackson
4
9.5 mi into trip|~14m in|US 49
Keep slight right at fork onto US 49
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
206.2 mi into trip|~3h 47m in
Take the exit toward Southaven, Horn Lake
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Southaven, Horn Lake
4
207.1 mi into trip|~3h 49m in|Haleville Drive
Turn right onto Haleville Drive
Navigation decision point
5
207.3 mi into trip|~3h 50m in|Five Oaks Drive North
Turn left onto Five Oaks Drive North
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$32.29 one way
$64.57 round trip
$3.95/gal25.4 MPG avg73 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$35.59
$71.19
premium
$4.71
$38.47
$76.93
diesel
$6.18
$50.45
$100.91
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 72.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
62.2
0
$21.78
$9.96
Efficient EV
51.9
0
$18.15
$8.30
EV Truck/SUV
83
1
$29.04
$13.27
Gas CO2
73 kg
EV CO2
24 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 Oct 17, 2026
Origin
Florence, MS
Morning
in Florence on Saturday
Local time
8:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
50°F
Clear
N 15 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued October 16 at 11:25PM CDT until October 17 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Mobile AL
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued October 16 at 8:07PM CDT until October 17 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Jackson MS
Destination
Southaven, MS
Morning
in Southaven on Saturday
Local time
8:44 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Partly Cloudy
N 10 to 15 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued October 16 at 11:25PM CDT until October 17 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Mobile AL
Red Flag Warning
Red Flag Warning issued October 16 at 8:07PM CDT until October 17 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Jackson MS
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
2 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
3h 50m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument
National Monument
Medgar and Myrlie Evers were partners in the civil rights struggle. The assassination of Medgar Evers in the carport of their home on June 12, 1963, was the first murder of a nationally significant le...
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument
National Monument
In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till traveled to Money, Mississippi, to visit relatives. He was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered after reportedly whistling at a white woman. His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley...
28 mi from route
~71 min detour
Free
near mile 143.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is almost entirely surface roads, with 0% highway driving. After leaving MS 469, you'll be navigating local roads for the majority of the 207.4 miles. Expect to encounter traffic lights and potentially some congestion as you pass through towns along Highway 49 South. The longest stretch without a significant break is not specified, but the overall duration suggests steady, though not uninterrupted, travel.
99% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 195.7 mi on I 55.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 55 and Highway 49 South. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 8.9 miles in near US 49.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 50m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.9 miles (US 49): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 9.5 miles (US 49): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 206.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The longest stretch is about 195.7 miles on I 55. 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, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 8.9 miles (US 49): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 9.5 miles (US 49): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 206.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument and Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.7 hours — manageable with a long break at Southaven, MS, but most travelers stay overnight.
