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Trip from Hopkinsville, KY to Morehead, KY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

55m

Distance

43 mi

69 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 51m ★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Hopkinsville, KY, KY

Hopkinsville, KY

Wikimedia Commons

city in Rowan County, Kentucky

Morehead, KY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning to travel the 43 miles between Hopkinsville and Morehead, you can expect a quick transit of about 55 minutes. This trek is best suited as a straightforward day trip, as the short duration makes an overnight stay unnecessary. You will primarily utilize a combination of I-169, the Western Kentucky Parkway, and St-1065 to complete the journey. With a fuel budget of approximately $7, this is a highly economical route for those looking to move efficiently between these two Kentucky locations. Both the starting point and the destination are situated within the Southeast region, ensuring a consistent regional experience throughout your drive.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 169 24.4 mi 26m
Western Kentucky Parkway 13.5 mi 14m
St-1065 1 mi 3m
St-1047 0.8 mi 3m
West 9th Street 0.6 mi 1m
St-1122 0.5 mi 1m
McLean Avenue 0.5 mi <1m
KY 181 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 169 — 24.4 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Hopkinsville, KY and Morehead, KY.

1

Start on Bethel Street

301 ft · 17 sec · Bethel Street
2

Turn right onto US 68; KY 80; KY 109

0.6 mi · 1 min · West 9th Street
3

Turn left onto US 68; KY 80

0.5 mi · 44 sec · McLean Avenue
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 20 sec
5

Merge onto I 169

24 mi · 26 min · I 169
6

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 34A Toward Elizabethtown
7

Merge onto Western Kentucky Parkway

14 mi · 14 min · Western Kentucky Parkway
8

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 53 Toward KY 181: Greenville, Sacramento
9

Turn left onto KY 181

0.3 mi · 36 sec · KY 181
10

Turn right onto St-1074

168 ft · 9 sec · St-1074
11

Turn right onto St-1065

1.0 mi · 3 min · St-1065
12

Turn right onto St-1047

0.8 mi · 3 min · St-1047
13

Turn left onto St-1131

387 ft · 18 sec · St-1131
14

Turn left onto St-1122

0.5 mi · 1 min · St-1122
15

Arrive at destination

St-1122

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Nortonville, KY, KY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Nortonville, KY

22 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

Morehead, KY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 43 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Nortonville, KY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.5 miles from Hopkinsville, KY, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 40.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 68; KY 80; KY 109 / West 9th Street

Turn right onto US 68; KY 80; KY 109 / West 9th Street

Navigation decision point

5
25.8 mi into trip | ~28m in

Take the exit toward Elizabethtown

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 34A Toward Elizabethtown
6
39.8 mi into trip | ~44m in

Take the exit toward KY 181: Greenville, Sacramento

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 53 Toward KY 181: Greenville, Sacramento
4
40.3 mi into trip | ~45m in | KY 181

Turn left onto KY 181

Navigation decision point

4
40.6 mi into trip | ~46m in | St-1065

Turn right onto St-1065

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.35 one way

$12.70 round trip

$3.75/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.14 $7.01 $14.02
premium $4.72 $7.98 $15.97
diesel $4.80 $8.12 $16.24

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 15 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.9 0 $4.52 $2.06
Efficient EV 10.8 0 $3.76 $1.72
EV Truck/SUV 17.2 0 $6.02 $2.75

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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 Jul 3, 2026

Origin

Hopkinsville, KY

Morning in Hopkinsville on Sunday

Local time

10:09 AM

CDT

Current temp

76°F

Partly Cloudy

S 2 mph 5% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued July 2 at 10:19PM EDT until July 3 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Jackson KY

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued July 2 at 8:03PM EDT until July 3 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Charleston WV

Destination

Morehead, KY

Morning in Morehead on Sunday

Local time

10:09 AM

CDT

Current temp

75°F

Partly Cloudy

WNW 2 mph 7% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued July 2 at 10:19PM EDT until July 3 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Jackson KY

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued July 2 at 8:03PM EDT until July 3 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Charleston WV

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

55m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a highway-focused experience, as roughly 95% of this route is dedicated to major thoroughfares. You will spend a significant portion of your time on larger roads, including a longest uninterrupted stretch of 24.4 miles on I-169. The drive maintains a fast-paced, functional personality rather than a winding backroad feel, allowing you to settle into a steady rhythm behind the wheel. As you transition between the parkway and local state routes, the environment remains consistent with high-speed travel. It is a no-nonsense commute that favors efficiency over technical maneuvering or frequent lane changes.

95% 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: 24.4 mi on I 169.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 169 and Western Kentucky Parkway. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 68; KY 80; KY 109 / West 9th 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 43 miles you will encounter 11 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 (US 68; KY 80; KY 109 / West 9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 25.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 39.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

649 ft 401 ft

Total Climb

292 ft

Total Descent

315 ft

Highest Point

649 ft

~9.2 mi in

Elevation Range

248 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Hopkinsville, KY and Morehead, KY, road signs point toward Elizabethtown and Sacramento.

Elizabethtown

25.8 mi in | ~28m

Sacramento

39.8 mi in | ~44m

About the Cities

Starting in Hopkinsville, KY

Full guide →

Founded 1796

Hopkinsville, often nicknamed "Hoptown" by locals, is a town located in Kentucky's Western Waterlands.

Arriving in Morehead, KY

Full guide →

Founded 1869

Morehead is a small city at the foot of the Kentucky Appalachians. The 2020 census puts the population as 7151. It is the home of Morehead State University, one Kentucky's seven public universities.

Top landmarks

  • • Downtown Morehead Historic District — historic district in Morehead, Kentucky

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 55m. Total distance: 43 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

55m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 24.4 miles on I 169. 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: at 0.1 miles (US 68; KY 80; KY 109 / West 9th Street): Navigation decision point; at 25.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 39.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Morehead, 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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