If you are planning a trip from Leesville to Shreveport, expect a straightforward journey covering 116.5 miles. You will spend roughly 2 hours and 3 minutes on the road, making this an ideal day trip that doesn't require an overnight stay. Your route utilizes North 5th Street, Shreveport Highway, and Hammond Street to navigate through the Southeast region of Louisiana. Budget approximately $16 for fuel to complete the transit. Since there are no designated stops scheduled in this itinerary, you can easily complete the drive in a single, efficient push. Whether you are traveling for business or a quick getaway, the simplicity of this connection makes it a highly manageable trek.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
60 miles from Leesville, LA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 14m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 49
56.9 mi
59m
Hammond Street
20.9 mi
24m
Natchitoches Highway
14.1 mi
16m
Shreveport Highway
11.1 mi
13m
LA 485
10.4 mi
14m
North 5th Street
1.2 mi
1m
Caddo Street
0.9 mi
2m
Pete Harris Drive
0.8 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 49
— 56.9 mi, about 59m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Leesville, LA and Shreveport, LA.
1
Start on East Texas Street
0.2 mi·42 sec·East Texas Street
2
Turn right onto US 171; LA 8
1.2 mi·1 min·North 5th Street
3
Keep slight left at fork onto US 171; LA 8
412 ft·5 sec·North 5th Street
4
Enter roundabout onto US 171
182 ft·2 sec·Shreveport Highway
5
Continue on US 171
11 mi·13 min·Shreveport Highway
6
Continue on US 171
21 mi·24 min·Hammond Street
7
Continue on Fisher Road
0.4 mi·45 sec·Fisher Road
8
Turn slight right onto Martin Luther King Drive
0.7 mi·1 min·Martin Luther King Drive
9
Turn right onto LA 6
0.3 mi·21 sec·San Antonio Avenue
10
Continue on LA 6
14 mi·16 min·Natchitoches Highway
11
Turn left onto LA 485
10 mi·14 min·LA 485
12
Continue on LA 485
0.3 mi·37 sec·State Route 485
13
Turn left
0.4 mi·54 sec
14
Merge onto I 49
57 mi·59 min·I 49
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
Since this 116.5-mile drive is relatively short, you have plenty of flexibility in your departure time to avoid peak traffic. Because the route relies on local roads rather than interstates, stay alert for frequent turns and potential speed changes as you move through different communities. Ensure your tank is ready before leaving, as the $16 fuel estimate is based on a direct transit without extra detours. Given the turn-heavy nature of the drive, keeping a reliable navigation app active is the best way to stay on track. Use this quick pace to your advantage by planning your arrival in Shreveport with plenty of daylight to spare.
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 60 miles from Leesville, LA, or about 1h 14m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 56.9 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 26 miles or 31m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 60 miles or 1h 14m 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 54m
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 Leesville, 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 Leesville, LA
This is one driving day of about 120 miles and 2h 20m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 26 miles from Leesville, LA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 49 for about 56.9 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 0.2 and 117 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|US 171; LA 8 / North 5th Street
Turn right onto US 171; LA 8 / North 5th Street
Navigation decision point
4
1.3 mi into trip|~2m in|US 171; LA 8 / North 5th Street
Keep slight left at fork onto US 171; LA 8 / North 5th Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
1.4 mi into trip|~2m in|US 171 / Shreveport Highway
Enter roundabout onto US 171 / Shreveport Highway
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
59.7 mi into trip|~1h 13m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
6
117 mi into trip|~2h 13m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$18.12 one way
$36.25 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg42 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$19.89
$39.79
premium
$4.56
$21.54
$43.08
diesel
$5.61
$26.49
$52.99
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 42 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
36
0
$12.60
$5.76
Efficient EV
30
0
$10.50
$4.80
EV Truck/SUV
48
0
$16.80
$7.68
Gas CO2
42 kg
EV CO2
14 kg (67% 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 16, 2026
Origin
Leesville, LA
Late night
in Leesville on Sunday
Local time
3:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Shreveport, LA
Late night
in Shreveport on Sunday
Local time
3:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
87°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 10 mph11% 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
4 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
2h 20m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy, local driving experience that stays off the major interstates entirely. With a highway share of 0%, you won't be dealing with the monotony of high-speed, multi-lane transit. The road maintains a consistent, winding character, as evidenced by the fact that your longest stretch is 0 miles on North 5th Street. Navigating these local roads requires your full attention, as the path shifts frequently between North 5th Street, Shreveport Highway, and Hammond Street. You will feel the pulse of the local landscape as you transition from the Leesville area toward your destination in Shreveport.
57% 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: 56.9 mi on I 49.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 0.2 miles in near US 171; LA 8 / North 5th 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 2h 20m 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 0.2 miles (US 171; LA 8 / North 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (US 171; LA 8 / North 5th Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1.4 miles (US 171 / Shreveport Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
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.
The longest stretch is about 56.9 miles on I 49. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.2 miles (US 171; LA 8 / North 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (US 171; LA 8 / North 5th Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1.4 miles (US 171 / Shreveport Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Shreveport, LA before heading back.
