Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
42.4 mi
68 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Louisville, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Brandenburg, KY
detait
This straightforward drive from Louisville, KY to Brandenburg, KY covers 42.4 miles and should take about 53 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You'll primarily navigate via I-64 and State Road 135, with a small portion on Lawrence Street as you arrive. With a fuel cost estimated at $6, this is an economical journey. The mixed drive profile suggests a blend of highway speeds and potentially more local traffic as you near your destination, making it a convenient and quick excursion within the Southeast region.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 64 | 21.9 mi | 26m |
| State Road 135 | 16.2 mi | 18m |
| Lawrence Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Matthew E. Welsh Bridge | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Bypass Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Jefferson Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West Broadway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| High Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Louisville, KY and Brandenburg, KY.
Start on West Jefferson Street
Turn right onto Roy Wilkins Avenue
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 64
Keep slight right at fork onto I 64; US 150
Continue on I 64; SR 62
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto SR 135
Continue on KY 79
Continue on KY 79
Turn left onto KY 228
Continue on KY 228
At end of road, turn left onto KY 448
Turn right onto KY 710
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 21.2 miles from Louisville, KY, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 42.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 64 West, I 64 East: New Albany, Saint Louis, Lexington
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 64 West: New Albany, Saint Louis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto I 64; US 150
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward SR 135: Corydon
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
At end of road, turn left onto KY 448 / West Broadway
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Regular Gas
$6.63 one way
$13.26 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.28 | $14.56 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.16 | $16.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.36 | $18.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.45 | $2.04 |
| Efficient EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.71 | $1.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17 | 0 | $5.94 | $2.71 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Morning in Louisville on Sunday
Local time
7:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Morning in Brandenburg on Sunday
Local time
7:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
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.
The personality of this drive is predominantly a highway experience, with 52% of the route utilizing interstate travel. You'll encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 21.9 miles on I-64, offering a chance to maintain consistent speed. As you transition from the interstate to State Road 135 and then Lawrence Street, expect a shift in the driving environment, likely involving more local roads and potentially slower speeds. This mixed drive profile means you’ll experience both efficient highway cruising and more localized travel.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 42.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.2 miles (I 64; US 150): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
697 ft
Total Descent
594 ft
Highest Point
879 ft
~15.2 mi in
Elevation Range
470 ft
Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky, is known for the Kentucky Derby horserace and as the "gateway to the south" from southern Indiana. It's a lively mid-sized city with an excellent dining scene, ample opportunities for bourbon tasting, and interesting public art. Louisville is also the namesake of the Official Bat of Major League Baseball — the Louisville Slugger.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 53m. Total distance: 42.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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