Origin
Luling, LA
Late night in Luling on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Luling, LA to New Orleans, LA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
23.8 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Luling, LA
Miguel Cuenca
Trip Overview
Luling to New Orleans is 23.8 miles and takes about 31 minutes via I-10 and Pontchartrain Expressway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip connects two points within Southeast Louisiana, offering a straightforward drive. You'll primarily be on interstate highways, making it an easy option for a quick transition between locations. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a same-day journey, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination. Consider this a practical link rather than an extensive scenic tour.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 10 | 10.1 mi | 12m |
| Hale Boggs Bridge | 7.2 mi | 8m |
| Pontchartrain Expressway | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| River Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Tulane Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Claiborne Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Paul Maillard Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Luling Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 10
— 10.1 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Luling, LA and New Orleans, LA.
1
Start on Luling Avenue
100 ft
·
6 sec
·
Luling Avenue
2
Turn left onto LA 52
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Paul Maillard Road
3
Turn left onto LA 18
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
River Road
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward Boutte, New Orleans
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
59 sec
Toward I 310 North: New Orleans
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 310
7.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Hale Boggs Bridge
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1A
Toward I 10 East: New Orleans
8
Merge onto I 10
9.6 mi
·
11 min
·
I 10
Use the straight lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Pontchartrain Expressway
Toward New Orleans, Business District
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
I 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 234B
Toward Poydras Street, Superdome
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Turn left onto South Claiborne Avenue
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
South Claiborne Avenue
13
Turn right onto Tulane Avenue
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Tulane Avenue
14
Arrive at destination
Tulane Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 22.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 310 North: New Orleans
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 310 North: New Orleans
6
8.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 10 East: New Orleans
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 1A
Toward I 10 East: New Orleans
8
18.9 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
I 10 / Pontchartrain Expressway
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward New Orleans, Business District
6
22.4 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
I 10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
22.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
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
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 234B
Toward Poydras Street, Superdome
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.59 one way
$7.19 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $3.95 | $7.89 |
| premium | $4.56 | $4.27 | $8.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.25 | $10.51 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.50 | $1.14 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.08 | $0.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.33 | $1.52 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
New Orleans, LA
Late night in New Orleans on Tuesday
Local time
4:17 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Partly Cloudy
S 5 to 10 mph
0% chance
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
2 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
31m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is a mixed drive, with 57% of it being highway. You'll experience stretches on I-10, including crossing the Hale Boggs Bridge, before transitioning onto the Pontchartrain Expressway. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 10.1 miles on I-10, which provides a good opportunity to maintain a steady speed. Expect a predominantly fast-paced journey, typical of interstate travel, with minimal slowdowns unless traffic conditions dictate otherwise. The character is largely urban and suburban, leading directly into the heart of New Orleans.
57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.1 mi on I 10.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 1 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 23.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 18.9 miles (I 10 / Pontchartrain Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Luling, LA to New Orleans, LA, road signs begin pointing toward Business District along the way.
Business District
18.9 mi in
|
~24m
|
via I 10
About the Cities
Starting in Luling, LA
Full guide →Luling is a city on the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, one of the River Parishes of Louisiana, near New Orleans.
Arriving in New Orleans, LA
Full guide →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).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 23.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.1 miles on I 10. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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.
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 New Orleans, LA 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: at 1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 18.9 miles (I 10 / Pontchartrain Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at New Orleans, LA 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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