Origin
Lafayette, LA
Morning in Lafayette on Sunday
Local time
6:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lafayette, LA to Lake Charles, 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 25m
Distance
74.8 mi
120 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 19m
★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 39m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 29m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 38m
8 PM
1h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Charles, LA
Liisbet Luup
Trip Overview
This straightforward 74.8-mile journey from Lafayette to Lake Charles, Louisiana, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes to complete. The route is predominantly highway driving, with 94% of it on the interstate. Expect a fuel cost of around $11 for this drive. Given its short duration and direct path, this trip is ideal for a quick transit between these two Southeast Louisiana hubs, requiring no overnight stops. The focus is on efficient travel rather than extensive sightseeing along the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 10 | 70.1 mi | 1h 15m |
| West University Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| Enterprise Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Versailles Boulevard | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Rue Vermilion Ouest | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Saint John Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 10
— 70.1 mi, about 1h 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lafayette, LA and Lake Charles, LA.
1
Start on Rue Vermilion Ouest
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
Rue Vermilion Ouest
2
At end of road, turn right onto Saint John Street
235 ft
·
11 sec
·
Saint John Street
3
Turn left onto Versailles Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Versailles Boulevard
4
Turn right onto West University Avenue
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
West University Avenue
5
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
6
Merge onto I 10; US 167
70 mi
·
1 hr 15 min
·
I 10; US 167
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
8
Turn straight onto US 90 Bus
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Enterprise Boulevard
9
Continue on Enterprise Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Enterprise Boulevard
10
Arrive at destination
Enterprise Boulevard
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
37 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 37.4 miles from Lafayette, LA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 10 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 70.1 miles.
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 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 2.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Saint John Street
At end of road, turn right onto Saint John Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Versailles Boulevard
Turn left onto Versailles Boulevard
Navigation decision point
3
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
West University Avenue
Turn right onto West University Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
3
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 10; US 167
Merge onto I 10; US 167
Merge point - match speed before joining
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.30 one way
$22.59 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $12.40 | $24.80 |
| premium | $4.56 | $13.43 | $26.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.51 | $33.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 26.2 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 | 22.4 | 0 | $7.85 | $3.59 |
| Efficient EV | 18.7 | 0 | $6.54 | $2.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.9 | 0 | $10.47 | $4.79 |
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.
Destination
Lake Charles, LA
Morning in Lake Charles on Sunday
Local time
6:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
78°F
Jennings, LA
37 mi in
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
20 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 25m 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?
Primarily a highway-focused drive, you'll spend most of your time on I-10, covering a continuous stretch of 70.1 miles. This means you can expect a consistent pace with minimal interruptions. While the majority of the route is on the interstate, the initial and final segments utilize local roads like West University Avenue and Enterprise Boulevard, offering a slight change of scenery before merging onto the main highway. The overall character is one of efficient, direct travel on well-maintained roads.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 70.1 mi on I 10.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 10 and West University Avenue. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Saint John Street.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Lafayette, LA to Lake Charles, LA is easy. At 1h 25m with 94% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Saint John Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (Versailles Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (West University Avenue): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Lake Charles, LA
Full guide →Lake Charles is the second-largest city in the Acadiana region of Louisiana, with 87,000 residents in 2022. It is well known for gaming and the great outdoors, culinary delights and rhythm and blues. There are over 75 annual festivals from the splendor of Mardi Gras to the swashbuckling days of the Contraband Days Pirate Festival, there is something going on nearly every weekend.
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 25m. Total distance: 74.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 70.1 miles on I 10. 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 0.2 miles (Saint John Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (Versailles Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (West University Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lake Charles, 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.
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