Origin
Lincoln, AR
Night in Lincoln on Saturday
Local time
11:35 PM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lincoln, AR to Fort Smith, AR
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
62.7 mi
101 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lincoln, AR
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 62.8-mile journey from Lincoln, Arkansas, to Fort Smith, Arkansas, is a manageable one-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 6 minutes. You'll primarily navigate local roads, including West Park Street, Main Street, and East Pridemore Drive, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this short hop is around $10, making it an economical option. Given its brief duration and local road focus, this drive is best suited for a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. Both the origin and destination are within the Southeast region of Arkansas.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 49 | 32.7 mi | 32m |
| Hogeye Road | 9.8 mi | 17m |
| US 71 | 6.5 mi | 7m |
| East Pridemore Drive | 6.4 mi | 9m |
| I 40 | 4.3 mi | 4m |
| Grand Avenue | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| South State Highway 265 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 49
— 32.7 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lincoln, AR and Fort Smith, AR.
1
Start on Boyer Avenue
228 ft
·
15 sec
·
Boyer Avenue
2
Turn left onto West Park Street
139 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Park Street
3
Turn right onto Main Street
476 ft
·
24 sec
·
Main Street
4
Turn left onto US 62
6.4 mi
·
9 min
·
East Pridemore Drive
5
Turn right onto Hogeye Road
5.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Hogeye Road
6
At end of road, turn left onto AR 265
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
South State Highway 265
7
Turn straight onto AR 156
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Hogeye Road
8
At end of road, turn left onto AR 170
457 ft
·
9 sec
·
Phillips Street
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
10
Merge onto I 49
33 mi
·
32 min
·
I 49
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 40 West: Van Buren, Fort Smith
12
Merge onto I 40; US 71
4.3 mi
·
4 min
·
I 40; US 71
13
Take the exit onto US 71
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
US 71
Toward I 540 South, US 71 South: Fort Smith
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 6
Toward Grand Avenue
15
Turn right onto Grand Avenue
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Grand Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
Grand Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.4 miles from Lincoln, AR, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 60.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Park Street
Turn left onto West Park Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Main Street
Turn right onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
6
49.5 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 40 West: Van Buren, Fort Smith
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 40 West: Van Buren, Fort Smith
5
54.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
US 71
Take the exit onto US 71 toward I 540 South, US 71 South: Fort Smith
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 540 South, US 71 South: Fort Smith
5
60.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward Grand Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 6
Toward Grand Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.47 one way
$18.94 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $10.39 | $20.79 |
| premium | $4.56 | $11.25 | $22.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.84 | $27.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.58 | $3.01 |
| Efficient EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.49 | $2.51 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.1 | 0 | $8.78 | $4.01 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Fort Smith, AR
Night in Fort Smith on Saturday
Local time
11:35 PM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
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
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
1h 17m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, characterized by frequent changes in direction rather than long, uninterrupted stretches. With 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets for the entire 62.8 miles. The experience will feel more like navigating through towns and communities than covering long distances on a highway. The absence of a longest uninterrupted stretch suggests a consistent pattern of intersections and turns throughout the 1 hour and 6 minute journey.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 32.7 mi on I 49.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 49 and Hogeye Road. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Park Street.
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 62.7 miles you will encounter 13 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: near the start (West Park Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 49.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Fort Smith, AR
Full guide →Fort Smith is in northwest Arkansas and borders Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Sebastian County. The city has a population of 80,286 which makes it the third largest city in Arkansas behind Little Rock and Fayetteville. It is located in the River Valley of Arkansas between the Ouachita mountains in the south and the Boston and Ozark mountains of the north and a gateway city to the Ozarks.
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 17m. Total distance: 62.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 32.7 miles on I 49. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Fort Smith, AR 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: near the start (West Park Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 49.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fort Smith, AR 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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