Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 50m
Distance
137.4 mi
221 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$21
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Leonville, LA
Vika Glitter
This 137.4-mile drive from Leonville, Louisiana, to New Orleans, Louisiana, is a straightforward journey that can easily be completed in a single day, taking approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes. You'll spend virtually all of your time on highways, with a fuel cost estimated around $21. The route is primarily highway-focused, making it an efficient way to travel between these two points within the Southeast region. Given its manageable length and duration, this trip is well-suited for a day excursion, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination without needing an overnight stay.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
68.7 miles from Leonville, LA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 30m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 10 | 79.1 mi | 1h 30m |
| US 190 | 42.1 mi | 54m |
| LA 741 | 5.7 mi | 10m |
| LA 415 Spur | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| Pontchartrain Expressway | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| State Route 31 | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Tulane Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Claiborne Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Leonville, LA and New Orleans, LA.
Start on LA 3254
Turn right onto LA 31
Continue on LA 31
Turn left onto LA 741
Turn right onto US 190
Keep slight right at fork onto LA 415 Spur
Turn left
Merge onto I 10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
Take the exit
Turn left onto South Claiborne Avenue
Turn right onto Tulane Avenue
Arrive at destination
Starting early in the morning is a good strategy for this 2-hour and 50-minute drive, helping you avoid potential traffic closer to New Orleans. With only one recommended stop, you have plenty of flexibility to decide when and where to pull over. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially during the 79.1-mile stretch on I 10, as services might be less frequent. The estimated fuel cost of $21 suggests you won't need to budget heavily for gas. Since this is a relatively short, highway-dominated trip, you can easily depart and arrive on the same day without feeling rushed.
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.
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 30 miles or 42m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 68.7 miles or 1h 30m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 21m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near New Orleans, LA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Leonville, 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 Leonville, LA
This is one driving day of about 137.4 miles and 2h 50m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
69 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.
A short stop after about 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 68.7 miles from Leonville, 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 79.1 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 7.9 and 136.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto US 190
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 10
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10 / Pontchartrain Expressway toward New Orleans, Business District
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Poydras Street, Superdome
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$20.75 one way
$41.50 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $22.78 | $45.56 |
| premium | $4.56 | $24.66 | $49.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $30.34 | $60.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$21
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 48.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 41.2 | 0 | $14.43 | $6.60 |
| Efficient EV | 34.4 | 0 | $12.02 | $5.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 55 | 0 | $19.24 | $8.79 |
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Leonville on Sunday
Local time
1:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in New Orleans on Sunday
Local time
1:06 PM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Sunny
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Expect a highly efficient, highway-focused experience for 99% of this 137.4-mile route. You'll primarily navigate I 10 and US 190, with a brief segment on LA 741. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 79.1 miles on I 10, meaning you can settle in for a good portion of the drive. This profile suggests a journey where maintaining speed and covering distance are key, rather than winding through picturesque backroads. The drive progresses with a consistent, high-speed character for most of its duration.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 10 and US 190. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 7.9 miles in near US 190.
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 137.4 miles you will encounter 11 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 7.9 miles (US 190): Lane positioning matters here; at 53.9 miles (I 10): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 132.5 miles (I 10 / Pontchartrain Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Way down yonder in New Orleans (French: La Nouvelle-Orléans), you'll find the roots of jazz and a blossoming culture that is unlike anything else on Earth. Here, the laid-back atmosphere of the riverfront South has mixed with French sophistication, Spanish style, and African-American energy to create something greater than the sum of its parts. "NOLA" is the largest city in Louisiana and one of the top tourist destinations in the United States. "Laissez les bons temps rouler" is what they say here in the Big Easy, and you too can "let the good times roll" with a cool stroll down Bourbon Street, a hot Dixieland band, and even hotter Creole cuisine. Mardi Gras may be the city's calling card, but that's just one day out of the hot and muggy year in New Orleans. Go ahead, take a riverboat down the Mississippi, munch on some beignets, and watch the Saints go marchin' in.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 50m. Total distance: 137.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (99%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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