Origin
Mayfield, KY
Late night in Mayfield on Sunday
Local time
1:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mayfield, KY to Paducah, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
26.4 mi
43 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mayfield, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Paducah, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a trip from Mayfield to Paducah, you are looking at a quick, straightforward 26.4-mile journey through the heart of Southeast Kentucky. Expect to spend about 36 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via US 45, North 7th Street, and Washington Street to complete your transit. With a fuel budget of roughly $4, it is an incredibly cost-effective excursion between these two regional hubs. This route is perfect if you need a reliable, no-fuss drive that connects you efficiently between the two cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 45 | 15.5 mi | 20m |
| North 7th Street | 7.8 mi | 10m |
| Washington Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Jackson Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South 28th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Paducah Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South 7th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Broadway Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 45
— 15.5 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mayfield, KY and Paducah, KY.
1
Start on KY 58; KY 80 Business; KY 121 Business
272 ft
·
13 sec
·
West Broadway Street
2
Turn left onto US 45; KY 121 Business
0.5 mi
·
46 sec
·
North 7th Street
3
Continue on US 45; KY 121 Business
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Paducah Road
4
Continue on US 45; KY 121 Business
7.3 mi
·
9 min
·
North 7th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto US 45
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
US 45
6
Keep slight right at fork onto US 45
15 mi
·
20 min
·
US 45
7
Turn right onto US 45; US 62
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Jackson Street
8
Turn left onto US 45; US 60
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
South 28th Street
9
Turn right onto US 45 Business
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Washington Street
10
Turn right onto South 7th Street
417 ft
·
23 sec
·
South 7th Street
11
Turn left onto Washington Street
161 ft
·
7 sec
·
Washington Street
12
Arrive at destination
Washington Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 26.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 45; KY 121 Business / North 7th Street
Turn left onto US 45; KY 121 Business / North 7th Street
Navigation decision point
4
8.1 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 45
Keep slight right at fork onto US 45
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
8.3 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 45
Keep slight right at fork onto US 45
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
26.3 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
South 7th Street
Turn right onto South 7th Street
Navigation decision point
5
26.4 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
Washington Street
Turn left onto Washington Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.13 one way
$8.25 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.53 | $9.06 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.08 | $10.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.83 | $11.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Paducah, KY
Late night in Paducah on Sunday
Local time
1:01 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°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
30 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
36m 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?
This drive offers a mixed-road profile, transitioning from open highway stretches to more localized city streets as you approach your destination. Approximately 59% of your time will be spent on highways, providing a steady flow before you navigate the urban connections. You will tackle a longest uninterrupted stretch of 15.5 miles on US 45, which gives you a consistent rhythm before the pace changes. Because the trip is relatively short, the drive feels like a blend of rural transit and standard town arrival. You can expect a predictable experience that shifts from higher-speed highway travel into the more controlled environment of local city roads.
59% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.5 mi on US 45.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 45; KY 121 Business / North 7th 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 26.4 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.1 miles (US 45; KY 121 Business / North 7th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.1 miles (US 45): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 8.3 miles (US 45): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
About the Cities
Arriving in Paducah, KY
Full guide →Paducah is a small city on the Ohio River about midway between St. Louis, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee. The county seat of McCracken County and the largest city in the Jackson Purchase area of western Kentucky, Paducah has a booming riverfront restaurant trade and arts scene in part driven by the city's artist relocation program which offers interest-free housing loans and other subsidies for established artists willing to relocate. Paducah is the hometown of humorist Irvin Cobb and former Vice President Alben Barkley (who served under President Harry S. Truman). Fans of contemporary Christian music will know it as the hometown of Steven Curtis Chapman, one of that genre's most iconic artists.
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 36m. Total distance: 26.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (59%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.5 miles on US 45. 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 Paducah, KY 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 0.1 miles (US 45; KY 121 Business / North 7th Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.1 miles (US 45): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 8.3 miles (US 45): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Paducah, KY 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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