Origin
Malvern, AR
Late night in Malvern on Tuesday
Local time
3:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Malvern, AR to Little Rock, AR
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
53m
Distance
46.4 mi
75 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Malvern, AR
Wikimedia Commons
Little Rock, AR
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Malvern to Little Rock, you are in for a quick 46.4-mile journey that typically takes about 47 minutes. Since this is a short trip within the Southeast region of Arkansas, it is perfectly suited for a single-day outing, meaning you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay. You can expect to spend roughly $7 on fuel for the trip, making it a very economical commute. Because you will be navigating local roads like South Main Street, Martin Luther King Boulevard, and Oliver Lancaster Boulevard, this is best approached as a straightforward, practical drive. It is an ideal route if you need to reach the state capital quickly without the hassle of a long-distance haul.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 30 | 25.5 mi | 28m |
| US 270 | 16 mi | 16m |
| Wilbur D. Mills Freeway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Martin Luther King Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| South Main Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Oliver Lancaster Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Martin Luther King Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| State Capitol | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 30
— 25.5 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Malvern, AR and Little Rock, AR.
1
Start on this road
206 ft
·
17 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
79 ft
·
11 sec
3
Turn left onto US 270B
0.6 mi
·
53 sec
·
South Main Street
4
Continue on US 270B
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Martin Luther King Boulevard
5
Continue on US 270B
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Oliver Lancaster Boulevard
6
Continue on US 270B
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Martin Luther King Road
7
Take the ramp onto US 270
16 mi
·
16 min
·
US 270
8
Continue on I 30; US 67; US 70
24 mi
·
26 min
·
I 30; US 67; US 70
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 30; US 67
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
·
I 30; US 67
10
Continue on I 30; US 65; US 67; US 167
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
I 30; US 65; US 67; US 167
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 630
12
Continue on I 630
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Wilbur D. Mills Freeway
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
14
Turn right onto Dr Martin Luther King Drive
188 ft
·
13 sec
·
Dr Martin Luther King Drive
15
Turn left onto West 7th Street
408 ft
·
13 sec
·
West 7th Street
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto State Capitol
503 ft
·
22 sec
·
State Capitol
17
Turn slight right
260 ft
·
19 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.2 miles from Malvern, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 46.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 270B / South Main Street
Turn left onto US 270B / South Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
42.2 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
I 30; US 67
Keep slight left at fork onto I 30; US 67
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
7
46.1 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
West 7th Street
Turn left onto West 7th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
46.2 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
State Capitol
Turn right onto State Capitol
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.01 one way
$14.01 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $7.69 | $15.39 |
| premium | $4.56 | $8.33 | $16.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.24 | $20.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.23 |
| Efficient EV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.06 | $1.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.6 | 0 | $6.50 | $2.97 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Little Rock, AR
Late night in Little Rock on Tuesday
Local time
3:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°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
1 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
53m 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 rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this route features zero highway miles. You will spend your time navigating through local streets, which keeps the driving experience engaging and requires your full attention at intersections. There is no single long-distance stretch of road here, so you will be making frequent adjustments to your speed and direction throughout the 47-minute duration. The character of the drive remains consistent from start to finish, relying entirely on local thoroughfares to move you between these two Arkansas cities. It is a functional, direct path that prioritizes local access over open-road cruising.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.5 mi on I 30.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 30 and US 270. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 53m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 270B / South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 42.2 miles (I 30; US 67): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
About the Cities
Arriving in Little Rock, AR
Full guide →Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the state of Arkansas. Little Rock is a cultural, economic, government, and transportation center within Arkansas and the American South. Several cultural institutions are in Little Rock, along with hiking, boating, and other outdoor recreational opportunities. Little Rock's history is available through history museums, historic districts or neighborhoods.
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 53m. Total distance: 46.4 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 (92%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.5 miles on I 30. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 270B / South Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 42.2 miles (I 30; US 67): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Little Rock, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Little Rock, AR
More trips to Little Rock, AR
Explore more options from Malvern, AR or browse trips ending in Little Rock, AR.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse AR road trips.