Melville to Shreveport is 204.5 miles and takes about 3h 47m via I 49 and State Route 10, with a fuel budget near $31 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Louisiana, moving from the Southeast region toward its northern border. Expect a largely highway-focused drive, making it a straightforward, efficient journey. With a recommended one-day duration, this route is ideal for travelers looking to cover ground without extensive overnight planning.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
102.3 miles from Melville, LA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 59m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 49
178.5 mi
3h 1m
State Route 10
9.7 mi
15m
East Railroad Avenue
8.1 mi
14m
Lafleur Street
2.3 mi
3m
La 10
2.2 mi
3m
Caddo Street
0.9 mi
2m
Pete Harris Drive
0.8 mi
1m
Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway
0.5 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 49
— 178.5 mi, about 3h 1m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Melville, LA and Shreveport, LA.
1
Start on Church Street
0.1 mi·32 sec·Church Street
2
Turn left onto Gum Street
363 ft·17 sec·Gum Street
3
Turn right onto LA 10
2.3 mi·3 min·Lafleur Street
4
Continue on LA 10
8.1 mi·14 min·East Railroad Avenue
5
Continue on LA 10
3.7 mi·6 min·State Route 10
6
Turn right onto US 71; LA 10
0.1 mi·18 sec·US 71; LA 10
7
Turn left onto LA 10
2.2 mi·3 min·LA 10
8
Continue on LA 10
6.0 mi·8 min·State Route 10
9
Continue on LA 10; LA 182
0.2 mi·17 sec·State Highway 10
10
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·25 sec
Toward I 49 North: Alexandria
11
Merge onto I 49
178 mi·3 hr 1 min·I 49
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi·1 min
Toward Pete Harris Drive, Murphy Street
13
Continue on Pete Harris Drive
0.8 mi·1 min·Pete Harris Drive
14
Turn right onto LA 173
0.9 mi·2 min·Caddo Street
15
At end of road, turn left onto Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway
0.5 mi·56 sec·Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway
16
Turn slight right onto River Parkway
68 ft·1 sec·River Parkway
17
Arrive at destination
River Parkway
Trip Plan
Given the 3h 47m estimated drive time, this route is easily manageable in a single day. Aim to depart in the morning to maximize daylight and allow for any unexpected delays. With only one recommended stop, you can plan your breaks strategically, perhaps around the halfway point or a bit further along I 49 to take advantage of its extensive stretch. Keep an eye on fuel levels, especially before embarking on the 178.5-mile segment on I 49, as services can be more spread out on longer highway stretches.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 102.3 miles from Melville, LA, or about 1h 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 178.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 45 miles or 1h 1m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 102.3 miles or 1h 59m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 6m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Shreveport, LA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Melville, LA so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Melville, LA
This is one driving day of about 204.5 miles and 3h 47m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 45 miles from Melville, LA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 49 for about 178.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 203.1 — 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|Gum Street
Turn left onto Gum Street
Navigation decision point
4
14.4 mi into trip|~25m in|LA 10 / La 10
Turn left onto LA 10 / La 10
Navigation decision point
4
22.8 mi into trip|~38m in
Take the ramp toward I 49 North: Alexandria
Navigation decision point
Toward I 49 North: Alexandria
6
201.5 mi into trip|~3h 40m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Pete Harris Drive, Murphy Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Pete Harris Drive, Murphy Street
4
203.1 mi into trip|~3h 43m in|LA 173 / Caddo Street
Turn right onto LA 173 / Caddo Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$30.88 one way
$61.77 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg72 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$33.90
$67.81
premium
$4.56
$36.71
$73.41
diesel
$5.61
$45.15
$90.30
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$31
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$56–$81
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 71.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
61.3
0
$21.47
$9.82
Efficient EV
51.1
0
$17.89
$8.18
EV Truck/SUV
81.8
1
$28.63
$13.09
Gas CO2
72 kg
EV CO2
24 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Melville, LA
Morning
in Melville on Sunday
Local time
11:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Shreveport, LA
Morning
in Shreveport on Sunday
Local time
11:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
3h 47m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Cane River Creole National Historical Park
National Historical Park
The Cane River region is home to a unique culture; the Creoles. Generations of the same families of workers, enslaved and tenant, and owners lived on these lands for over 200 years. The park tells the...
5 mi from route
~13 min detour
Free
near mile 126.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly a highway drive, with 94% of the journey on high-speed roads like I 49. You'll experience long stretches of consistent driving, including an uninterrupted segment of 178.5 miles on I 49. While the primary focus is on efficient travel via major highways, there are brief transitions onto local roads like East Railroad Avenue, offering a slight change of pace. The character is one of directness, designed for covering distance effectively.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 178.5 mi on I 49.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 49 and State Route 10. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Gum Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 47m 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: at 0.1 miles (Gum Street): Navigation decision point; at 14.4 miles (LA 10 / La 10): Navigation decision point; at 22.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Shreveport is the largest city in Northern Louisiana, part of the twin city metro of Shreveport-Bossier City, and is considered the principal city in the three-state region known as the "Ark-La-Tex." It has about 188,000 residents (2019), and is in the area of the state designated as the Sportsman's Paradise. Many lakes and rivers are in the area and offer recreational activities. The surrounding area is also a contrast from points in southern Louisiana, in that the landscape is marked by rolling hills and pine forests, being an extension of the Texas region known as the Piney Woods.
The longest stretch is about 178.5 miles on I 49. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas 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.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Gum Street): Navigation decision point; at 14.4 miles (LA 10 / La 10): Navigation decision point; at 22.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes — Cane River Creole National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.6 hours — manageable with a long break at Shreveport, LA, but most travelers stay overnight.
