Lake Arthur, LA to Shreveport, LA is 219.1 miles and takes about 4h 32m via Martin Luther King, Jr Highway and US 165, with a fuel budget near $32 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Louisiana, moving from the Southeast region to another part of the Southeast. The route offers a mixed driving experience, blending highway travel with surface roads. It's a straightforward drive that can easily be completed in a single day, making it a convenient option for getting from point A to point B without needing an overnight stay.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
109.6 miles from Lake Arthur, LA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 37m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Martin Luther King, Jr Highway
119.6 mi
2h 2m
US 165
49.1 mi
1h
Highway 26
33.1 mi
58m
State Route 26
5.4 mi
9m
Macarthur Drive
4.2 mi
7m
Elton Road
1.7 mi
3m
South Lake Arthur Avenue
1.5 mi
2m
6th Avenue
1 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Martin Luther King, Jr Highway
— 119.6 mi, about 2h 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Arthur, LA and Shreveport, LA.
1
Start on LA 26
0.1 mi·11 sec·Calcasieu Avenue
2
Turn straight onto LA 26
3.4 mi·5 min·Highway 26
3
Continue on State Route 26
5.0 mi·8 min·State Route 26
4
Continue on LA 26
1.5 mi·2 min·South Lake Arthur Avenue
5
Continue on LA 26
1.7 mi·3 min·Elton Road
6
Continue on LA 26
0.4 mi·44 sec·State Route 26
7
Continue on LA 26
30 mi·52 min·Highway 26
8
Continue on LA 26
1.0 mi·1 min·6th Avenue
9
Turn right onto US 165
49 mi·1 hr·US 165
10
Turn slight left onto Macarthur Drive
0.6 mi·1 min·Macarthur Drive
11
Turn right
104 ft·6 sec
12
Turn left onto US 71; US 165
3.6 mi·5 min·Macarthur Drive
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi·51 sec
Toward I 49 North: Shreveport
14
Merge onto I 49
120 mi·2 hr 2 min·Martin Luther King, Jr Highway
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi·1 min
Toward Pete Harris Drive, Murphy Street
16
Continue on Pete Harris Drive
0.8 mi·1 min·Pete Harris Drive
17
Turn right onto LA 173
0.9 mi·2 min·Caddo Street
18
At end of road, turn left onto Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway
0.5 mi·56 sec·Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway
19
Turn slight right onto River Parkway
68 ft·1 sec·River Parkway
20
Arrive at destination
River Parkway
Trip Plan
For this 4.5-hour drive, leaving in the morning is ideal to maximize daylight and allow for flexibility. The route is manageable in one day, but if you prefer a more relaxed pace, consider breaking it up with a stop. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 119.6-mile stretch on Martin Luther King, Jr Highway, as services might be less frequent. Your estimated fuel cost is around $32, so budget accordingly. With only one recommended stop, you have plenty of room to adjust your timing as needed.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 109.6 miles from Lake Arthur, LA, or about 2h 37m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 119.6 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 48 miles or 1h 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 109.6 miles or 2h 37m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 48m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Shreveport, LA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Lake Arthur, LA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Lake Arthur, LA
This is one driving day of about 219.1 miles and 4h 32m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 48 miles from Lake Arthur, LA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Martin Luther King, Jr Highway for about 119.6 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 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 42.8 and 217.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
42.8 mi into trip|~1h 15m in|US 165
Turn right onto US 165
Navigation decision point
4
92.5 mi into trip|~2h 17m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
4
96.2 mi into trip|~2h 23m in
Take the exit toward I 49 North: Shreveport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 49 North: Shreveport
6
216.1 mi into trip|~4h 26m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Pete Harris Drive, Murphy Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Pete Harris Drive, Murphy Street
4
217.7 mi into trip|~4h 29m in|LA 173 / Caddo Street
Turn right onto LA 173 / Caddo Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$33.54 one way
$67.08 round trip
$3.89/gal25.4 MPG avg77 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.31
$37.14
$74.29
premium
$4.65
$40.10
$80.20
diesel
$6.28
$54.14
$108.27
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$34
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$59–$84
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 76.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
65.7
0
$23.01
$10.52
Efficient EV
54.8
0
$19.17
$8.76
EV Truck/SUV
87.6
1
$30.67
$14.02
Gas CO2
77 kg
EV CO2
26 kg (66% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Lake Arthur, LA
Late night
in Lake Arthur on Friday
Local time
12:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Mostly Sunny
NE 5 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Shreveport, LA
Late night
in Shreveport on Friday
Local time
12:48 AM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Sunny
E 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
49°F
Alexandria, LA
110 mi in
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
1 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
4h 32m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Cane River Creole National Historical Park
National Historical Park
The Cane River region is home to a unique culture; the Creoles. Generations of the same families of workers, enslaved and tenant, and owners lived on these lands for over 200 years. The park tells the...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 40% of this 219.1-mile drive on highways. The longest continuous stretch of highway travel is 119.6 miles on Martin Luther King, Jr Highway. After that, expect to transition to surface roads for the remainder of your trip. This means you'll encounter varied driving conditions, shifting from faster highway speeds to more moderate surface road paces, likely with more intersections as you get closer to Shreveport.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 119.6 mi on Martin Luther King, Jr Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 42.8 miles in near US 165.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 32m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 42.8 miles (US 165): Navigation decision point; at 92.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 96.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Shreveport is the largest city in Northern Louisiana, part of the twin city metro of Shreveport-Bossier City, and is considered the principal city in the three-state region known as the "Ark-La-Tex." It has about 188,000 residents (2019), and is in the area of the state designated as the Sportsman's Paradise. Many lakes and rivers are in the area and offer recreational activities. The surrounding area is also a contrast from points in southern Louisiana, in that the landscape is marked by rolling hills and pine forests, being an extension of the Texas region known as the Piney Woods.
Top landmarks
•Petroleum Tower — 16-story high-rise office building located at 425 Edwards Street at the corner o...
•Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium — theater and meeting hall in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
•Strand Theatre — theater in Shreveport, Louisiana
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 119.6 miles on Martin Luther King, Jr Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas 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, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 42.8 miles (US 165): Navigation decision point; at 92.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 96.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes — Cane River Creole National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.5 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.1 hours — manageable with a long break at Shreveport, LA, but most travelers stay overnight.
