If you are planning a quick excursion through Mississippi, the 73.4-mile trip from Jackson to Pearl River is a straightforward option. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 37 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day journey. You will primarily utilize MS Hwy 25, MS 16, and Lakeland Drive to navigate between these two Southeast locations. With a fuel budget of approximately $11, this drive is quite economical for a solo traveler or a pair. Since the entire route sits within the same state, you won't need to worry about major regional shifts or overnight stops. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
36.7 miles from Jackson, MS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 44m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
MS Hwy 25
31.5 mi
35m
MS 16
25 mi
37m
Lakeland Drive
13.1 mi
16m
North State Street
2.3 mi
3m
East Capitol Street
0.3 mi
<1m
North Oswald Road
0.3 mi
1m
Old Canton Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Black Jack Road
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
MS Hwy 25
— 31.5 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Jackson, MS and Pearl River, MS.
1
Start on East Pearl Street
452 ft·15 sec·East Pearl Street
2
Turn right onto South Lamar Street
378 ft·10 sec·South Lamar Street
3
Enter roundabout onto East Capitol Street
7 ft·0 sec·East Capitol Street
4
Continue on East Capitol Street
0.1 mi·11 sec·East Capitol Street
5
Enter roundabout onto East Capitol Street
51 ft·1 sec·East Capitol Street
6
Continue on East Capitol Street
0.2 mi·32 sec·East Capitol Street
7
At end of road, turn left onto US 51
2.3 mi·3 min·North State Street
8
Turn slight right onto Old Canton Road
0.2 mi·16 sec·Old Canton Road
9
Turn right onto Lakeland Drive
13 mi·16 min·Lakeland Drive
10
Continue on MS 25
31 mi·35 min·MS Hwy 25
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi·52 sec
12
Keep slight left at fork
308 ft·8 sec
13
Turn right onto MS 16
25 mi·37 min·MS 16
14
Turn left onto North Oswald Road
0.3 mi·1 min·North Oswald Road
15
Continue on Black Jack Road
0.1 mi·29 sec·Black Jack Road
16
Turn right onto High School Circle
59 ft·2 sec·High School Circle
17
Arrive at destination
High School Circle
Trip Plan
Since this is a relatively short trip, you have plenty of flexibility regarding your departure time. You can easily complete the drive in under two hours, so there is no pressure to hit the road at dawn unless you prefer to beat local traffic. Because there are no mandatory stops scheduled, you can pace the drive according to your own needs rather than adhering to a strict itinerary. Make sure to keep your tank topped off before leaving Jackson, as that $11 fuel estimate assumes a steady drive without excessive idling. Given the longest stretch of 31.5 miles occurs on MS Hwy 25, try to plan your refueling or stretching breaks just before or after that segment to keep your momentum steady.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 36.7 miles from Jackson, MS, or about 44m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 31.5 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 16 miles or 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 36.7 miles or 44m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 19m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Pearl River, MS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Jackson, MS so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Jackson, MS
This is one driving day of about 73.4 miles and 1h 37m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Jackson, MS.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on MS Hwy 25 for about 31.5 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 47.9 — 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 Lamar Street
Turn right onto South Lamar Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|East Capitol Street
Enter roundabout onto East Capitol Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|East Capitol Street
Enter roundabout onto East Capitol Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|US 51 / North State Street
At end of road, turn left onto US 51 / North State Street
Navigation decision point
4
47.9 mi into trip|~58m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.09 one way
$22.17 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg26 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$12.17
$24.34
premium
$4.56
$13.17
$26.35
diesel
$5.61
$16.21
$32.41
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
22
0
$7.71
$3.52
Efficient EV
18.4
0
$6.42
$2.94
EV Truck/SUV
29.4
0
$10.28
$4.70
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
Forecast as of Apr 11, 2026
Origin
Jackson, MS
Late night
in Jackson on Sunday
Local time
2:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Pearl River, MS
Late night
in Pearl River on Sunday
Local time
2:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Sunny
SSE 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
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
28 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 37m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is heavily focused on highway travel, with 77% of your time spent on main thoroughfares. You should be prepared for a consistent pace, as the longest uninterrupted stretch spans 31.5 miles along MS Hwy 25. The road personality leans toward a highway-focused drive, offering a steady rhythm rather than the stop-and-go patterns of city traffic. While you will transition through different segments, the route maintains a predictable character that allows for focused driving. You will find that the highway sections dominate the experience, keeping the drive relatively simple and direct throughout the entire 73.4-mile span.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.5 mi on MS Hwy 25.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MS Hwy 25 and MS 16. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Lamar Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 37m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Lamar Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (East Capitol Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.3 miles (East Capitol Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
523 ft279 ft
Total Climb
580 ft
Total Descent
335 ft
Highest Point
523 ft
~73.4 mi in
Elevation Range
244 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 37m. Total distance: 73.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
The longest stretch is about 31.5 miles on MS Hwy 25. 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: at 0.1 miles (South Lamar Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (East Capitol Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.3 miles (East Capitol Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pearl River, MS before heading back.
