Origin
Franklin, KY
Late night in Franklin on Sunday
Local time
1:04 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Franklin, KY to Bowling Green, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
23.8 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
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.
Franklin, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Bowling Green, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick, straightforward transition between Franklin and Bowling Green, this 23.8-mile journey is an ideal candidate for a simple day trip. You can expect to spend about 32 minutes behind the wheel, making it a highly efficient connection within Kentucky’s Southeast region. Because the entire route is easily manageable in a single session, there is no need to plan for overnight stays. With a fuel budget of just $3, it is an incredibly economical drive. This route is best suited for those who prefer navigating local roads over the monotony of major interstates.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 65 | 15.7 mi | 16m |
| Scottsville Road | 5.1 mi | 8m |
| East Cedar Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Broadway Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East 12th Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| State Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Rapids Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Water Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 65
— 15.7 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Franklin, KY and Bowling Green, KY.
1
Start on North Water Street
99 ft
·
9 sec
·
North Water Street
2
Turn left onto KY 73
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East Cedar Street
3
Continue on KY 73
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Scottsville Road
4
Turn right onto KY 73
255 ft
·
11 sec
·
Rapids Road
5
Turn left onto KY 100
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Scottsville Road
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
7
Merge onto I 65
16 mi
·
16 min
·
I 65
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward US 231: Scottsville, Bowling Green
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
509 ft
·
12 sec
Toward US 231: Scottsville, Bowling Green
10
Turn left onto US 231
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Scottsville Road
11
Continue on US 231 Business
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway Avenue
12
Continue on East 12th Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
East 12th Avenue
13
At end of road, turn right onto State Street
352 ft
·
11 sec
·
State Street
14
Turn uturn
183 ft
·
15 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 23.8 — 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
|
KY 73 / East Cedar Street
Turn left onto KY 73 / East Cedar Street
Navigation decision point
7
19.2 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward US 231: Scottsville, Bowling Green
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 231: Scottsville, Bowling Green
6
19.5 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 231: Scottsville, Bowling Green
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 231: Scottsville, Bowling Green
5
23.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
State Street
At end of road, turn right onto State Street
Navigation decision point
8
23.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Turn uturn
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.72 one way
$7.44 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.09 | $8.17 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.58 | $9.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.25 | $10.51 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.50 | $1.14 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.08 | $0.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.33 | $1.52 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Bowling Green, KY
Late night in Bowling Green on Sunday
Local time
1:04 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°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
1 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience on this journey. You will navigate via East Cedar Street, Scottsville Road, and Rapids Road, which means your focus will be on local traffic patterns rather than highway cruising. Since the highway share is 0%, you should prepare for a more engaging, manual driving experience with plenty of turns. The route maintains a consistent, steady pace throughout the 32-minute duration. Because there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, you will find the road requires your active attention from start to finish.
66% 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: 15.7 mi on I 65.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 65 and Scottsville Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near KY 73 / East Cedar Street.
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 23.8 miles you will encounter 9 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 (KY 73 / East Cedar Street): Navigation decision point; at 19.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
706 ft
528 ft
Total Climb
142 ft
Total Descent
320 ft
Highest Point
706 ft
Elevation Range
178 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Franklin, KY
Full guide →Franklin is a city in Kentucky's Caves and Lakes region. In the mid-2000s, the community of Franklin was honored as one of the "50 Best Small Southern Towns."
Arriving in Bowling Green, KY
Full guide →Bowling Green is the third-largest city in Kentucky, with nearly 60,000 residents. Bowling Green is the hub of activity in the Caves and Lakes region.
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 32m. Total distance: 23.8 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 (66%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.7 miles on I 65. 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 (KY 73 / East Cedar Street): Navigation decision point; at 19.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Mammoth Cave National 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 Bowling Green, KY 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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