Origin
Houma, LA
Late night in Houma on Sunday
Local time
4:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Houma, LA to Donaldsonville, LA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 16m
Distance
48 mi
77 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Houma, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Donaldsonville, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Connecting Houma to Donaldsonville, this 48-mile journey through Southeast Louisiana is a straightforward trek that fits perfectly into a single day of travel. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 16 minutes behind the wheel as you navigate away from the coast toward the river parishes. Because the distance is relatively short, you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay, making this an ideal quick excursion. With a modest fuel budget of just $7, you can easily manage the trip without significant expense. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that keeps you off the major interstates entirely. Whether you are heading out for business or a visit, this simple drive offers a direct path between these two regional hubs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Highway 1 | 15 mi | 22m |
| Park Avenue | 14.6 mi | 24m |
| Saint Mary Street | 6.6 mi | 9m |
| LA 70 | 6.5 mi | 10m |
| LA 3089 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| LA 70 Spur | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Canal Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Jackson Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Highway 1
— 15 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Houma, LA and Donaldsonville, LA.
1
Start on School Street
47 ft
·
7 sec
·
School Street
2
Turn left onto LA 182
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
·
Barrow Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto LA 24
15 mi
·
24 min
·
Park Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Continue on LA 20
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Canal Boulevard
5
Enter roundabout onto LA 20
182 ft
·
4 sec
·
Jackson Street
6
Continue on LA 20
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Jackson Street
7
Turn left onto LA 1
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Saint Mary Street
8
Continue on LA 1
15 mi
·
22 min
·
Highway 1
9
Turn right onto LA 70 Spur
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
LA 70 Spur
10
Turn right onto LA 70
6.5 mi
·
10 min
·
LA 70
11
Merge onto LA 3089
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
LA 3089
12
Arrive at destination
LA 1
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 miles from Houma, 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
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 37.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
LA 182 / Barrow Street
Turn left onto LA 182 / Barrow Street
Navigation decision point
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
LA 24 / Park Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto LA 24 / Park Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
15.6 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
LA 20 / Jackson Street
Enter roundabout onto LA 20 / Jackson Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
16.2 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
LA 1 / Saint Mary Street
Turn left onto LA 1 / Saint Mary Street
Navigation decision point
4
37.7 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
LA 70 Spur
Turn right onto LA 70 Spur
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.25 one way
$14.50 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $7.96 | $15.92 |
| premium | $4.56 | $8.62 | $17.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.60 | $21.20 |
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 | $5.04 | $2.30 |
| Efficient EV | 12 | 0 | $4.20 | $1.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.2 | 0 | $6.72 | $3.07 |
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
Donaldsonville, LA
Late night in Donaldsonville on Sunday
Local time
4:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°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
18 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
1h 16m 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?
Forget about monotonous highway cruising; this trip is defined by a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged. You will navigate primarily via Barrow Street, Park Avenue, and Canal Boulevard, with a 0% highway share throughout the entire journey. Because there are no long, uninterrupted stretches—the longest being 0 miles on Barrow Street—you should expect a steady pace that requires your full attention. This route feels more like a local transit experience than a high-speed transit corridor. By sticking to these local roads, you avoid the heavy traffic often found on larger thoroughfares, though you should be prepared for frequent turns as you transition between streets.
53% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15 mi on Highway 1.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near LA 182 / Barrow Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Houma, LA to Donaldsonville, LA is easy. At 1h 16m with 53% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (LA 182 / Barrow Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (LA 24 / Park Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.6 miles (LA 20 / Jackson Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
About the Cities
Starting in Houma, LA
Full guide →Houma is a small city (about 33,000 people in 2019, not including suburbs) in south central Louisiana. It is the seat and largest city in Terrebonne Parish, and the center of the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The region in total is home to a little over 200,000. Bayou Terrebonne runs through the town roughly east to west between Main Street and Park Avenue, with the Intracostal Waterway running north to south.
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 16m. Total distance: 48 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (53%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15 miles on Highway 1. 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 (LA 182 / Barrow Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (LA 24 / Park Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.6 miles (LA 20 / Jackson Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Donaldsonville, 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, 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 Donaldsonville, LA
More trips to Donaldsonville, LA
Explore more options from Houma, LA or browse trips ending in Donaldsonville, LA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse LA road trips.