Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 37m
Distance
87.9 mi
141 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Meridian, MS
Wikimedia Commons
Pearl, MS
Wikimedia Commons
Connecting Meridian to Pearl is a straightforward, 87.9-mile journey across the heart of Mississippi. You can expect a quick drive time of approximately 1 hour and 37 minutes, making it an easy day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel budget of about $13, it is an efficient way to transit between these two Southeast locations. Since the entire route stays within Mississippi, you will experience a consistent regional feel as you transition between these cities. This trip is ideal for travelers looking for a no-fuss, direct connection via major transit corridors.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
43.9 miles from Meridian, MS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 49m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 20 | 83.9 mi | 1h 30m |
| 8th Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Airport Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| South Pearson Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Old Brandon Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Frontage Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 25th Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Old Country Club Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Meridian, MS and Pearl, MS.
Start on 25th Avenue
Turn left onto 8th Street
Turn left onto MS 19
Turn right onto North Frontage Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 20; I 59; US 80
Keep slight right at fork onto I 20; US 80
Take the exit
Turn right onto MS 468
Turn straight
Turn slight right onto Old Brandon Road
Turn right onto Pine Park Drive
Turn left onto Old Country Club Road
Arrive at destination
Because this is a short trip with no mandatory stops, you have plenty of flexibility in your departure schedule. You can easily complete the entire 87.9-mile stretch in one go without needing to plan for long rest breaks. Given that the drive is almost entirely highway-based, check traffic patterns on I-20 before you head out to ensure a smooth arrival in Pearl. If you are starting your day in Meridian, aim to time your departure to avoid peak commuter hours near Pearl to keep your travel time close to the 1 hour and 37-minute estimate. Keep your $13 fuel budget in mind, and consider filling up before hitting the interstate to take advantage of local pricing.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
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 19 miles or 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 43.9 miles or 49m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Pearl, MS than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Meridian, MS so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Meridian, MS
This is one driving day of about 87.9 miles and 1h 37m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
44 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 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 43.9 miles from Meridian, MS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 20 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 83.9 miles.
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 0.1 and 86.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto 8th Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto MS 19 / Airport Boulevard
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 20; US 80 toward I 20 West: Jackson
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MS 468: pearl
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$13.27 one way
$26.55 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $14.57 | $29.15 |
| premium | $4.56 | $15.78 | $31.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $19.41 | $38.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 30.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 26.4 | 0 | $9.23 | $4.22 |
| Efficient EV | 22 | 0 | $7.69 | $3.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 35.2 | 0 | $12.31 | $5.63 |
Gas CO2
31 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (68% 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 Meridian on Tuesday
Local time
7:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
55°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Morning in Pearl on Tuesday
Local time
7:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Unavailable
84°F
Forest, MS
44 mi in
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
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Monument
Medgar and Myrlie Evers were partners in the civil rights struggle. The assassination of Medgar Evers in the carport of their home on June 12, 1963, was the first murder of a nationally significant le...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
This highway-focused drive is dominated by high-speed transit, with roughly 95% of your time spent on main roads. You will spend the vast majority of your journey, specifically 83.9 miles, cruising uninterrupted on I-20. The experience is primarily an interstate grind, prioritizing speed and efficiency over secondary road exploration. As you navigate from Meridian to Pearl, expect a steady, predictable rhythm behind the wheel. The transition from local streets like 8th Street and Airport Boulevard quickly gives way to the open, sustained pace of the interstate.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and 8th Street. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 8th Street.
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 87.9 miles you will encounter 9 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 (8th Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (MS 19 / Airport Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 2.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Meridian is a city in Mississippi. It was a titan of commerce of sorts during the Reconstruction era and up through the Great Depression, even after General Tecumseh Sherman had torched it, due to its being a hub to five major rail lines and manufacturing during its golden age. It is now a treasure trove for some of the architecture preserved from that period. Meridian is also noted for being the location of the US v. Cecil Price court case, where several Ku Klux Klan members were charged for the abduction and murder of three Civil Rights workers in 1964 in nearby Neshoba County, an event analogously portrayed in the film Mississippi Burning.
Pearl is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, sitting on the east side of the Pearl River from the state capital, Jackson. The population was 26,000 in 2018.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 37m. Total distance: 87.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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