Origin
Lafayette, LA
Late night in Lafayette on Sunday
Local time
4:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lafayette, LA to New Iberia, LA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
20.4 mi
33 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Iberia, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick excursion through Southeast Louisiana, the 20.5-mile trek from Lafayette to New Iberia is an ideal choice. Expect to spend about 30 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a stress-free day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. You will navigate primarily via Rue Jefferson, Johnston Street, and East University Avenue, keeping you firmly on local roads for the entirety of the journey. With a fuel budget of just $3, it is an incredibly economical route to manage. Since both cities are located within the same region, you won't experience significant environmental shifts, but you will enjoy a straightforward transition between these two hubs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| LA 182 | 12.3 mi | 18m |
| Southwest Evangeline Thruway | 6 mi | 7m |
| East University Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Rue Jefferson | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Johnston Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Southeast Evangeline Thruway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Rue Vermilion Ouest | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Julia Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
LA 182
— 12.3 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lafayette, LA and New Iberia, LA.
1
Start on Rue Vermilion Ouest
335 ft
·
18 sec
·
Rue Vermilion Ouest
2
Turn right onto Rue Jefferson
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Rue Jefferson
3
Turn right onto Johnston Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Johnston Street
4
Turn left onto East University Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
East University Avenue
5
Merge onto US 90; LA 182
506 ft
·
7 sec
·
Southeast Evangeline Thruway
6
Continue on US 90; LA 182
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Southwest Evangeline Thruway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto US 90; LA 182
0.5 mi
·
33 sec
·
Southwest Evangeline Thruway
8
Keep slight right at fork onto US 90; LA 182
0.7 mi
·
46 sec
·
Southwest Evangeline Thruway
9
Take the exit onto LA 182
12 mi
·
18 min
·
LA 182
10
Turn right onto Julia Street
207 ft
·
9 sec
·
Julia Street
11
Arrive at destination
Julia Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 20.4 — 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
|
Rue Jefferson
Turn right onto Rue Jefferson
Navigation decision point
3
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Johnston Street
Turn right onto Johnston Street
Navigation decision point
4
6.9 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
7.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
20.4 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Julia Street
Turn right onto Julia Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.08 one way
$6.16 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $3.38 | $6.76 |
| premium | $4.56 | $3.66 | $7.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.50 | $9.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.39
Southwest Evangeline Thruway
(5.5 mi)
$0.39
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.14 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
New Iberia, LA
Late night in New Iberia on Sunday
Local time
4:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Mostly Cloudy
SE 5 mph
3% chance
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
5 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
30m 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?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a mindless highway cruise. Because the route has a 0% highway share, you should anticipate frequent stops and intersections as you navigate through the local infrastructure. There is no long-distance relief here, as the longest stretch is 0 miles on Rue Jefferson, meaning the road profile remains consistently active and technical. You won't find any monotonous interstate stretches to zone out on; instead, you will be actively managing your speed and lane positioning through the local surface streets. It is an engaging, hands-on driving experience that keeps you connected to the surroundings throughout the entire half-hour duration.
60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.3 mi on LA 182.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Rue Jefferson.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 20.4 miles you will encounter 8 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 (Rue Jefferson): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Johnston Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.9 miles (US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
39 ft
16 ft
Total Climb
26 ft
Total Descent
46 ft
Highest Point
39 ft
~2.9 mi in
Elevation Range
22 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 20.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.3 miles on LA 182. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.39 in tolls one way, starting with Southwest Evangeline Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at New Iberia, LA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 (Rue Jefferson): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Johnston Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.9 miles (US 90; LA 182 / Southwest Evangeline Thruway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at New Iberia, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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