This straightforward 86.9-mile drive from New Orleans to Brownsfield, Louisiana, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 51 minutes. Primarily utilizing I-10 and Airline Highway, this route keeps you on the move with an 81% highway share. With an estimated fuel cost of around $13, it's an economical option for a quick journey within the Southeast region. The drive is focused on efficient travel, making it a practical choice if you're looking to get from point A to point B without extensive detours.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
43.4 miles from New Orleans, LA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 50m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 10
70.4 mi
1h 19m
Airline Highway
8.5 mi
13m
Silverleaf Avenue
1.3 mi
2m
Siegen Lane
1.3 mi
2m
Foster Road
1.3 mi
3m
Hooper Road
1.1 mi
1m
Mickens Road
0.6 mi
1m
Poydras Street
0.6 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 10
— 70.4 mi, about 1h 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Orleans, LA and Brownsfield, LA.
1
Start on Tulane Avenue
40 ft·3 sec·Tulane Avenue
2
Turn right onto Loyola Avenue
0.3 mi·46 sec·Loyola Avenue
3
Turn right onto Poydras Street
0.6 mi·1 min·Poydras Street
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·45 sec
Toward I 10 West: Baton Rouge
5
Merge onto I 10
70 mi·1 hr 19 min·I 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·28 sec
Exit 163Toward LA 3246: Siegen LaneUse the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto LA 3246
1.3 mi·2 min·Siegen Lane
8
Turn left onto US 61; LA 73
8.5 mi·13 min·Airline Highway
Use the left / straight lanes.
9
Turn sharp right onto Greenwell Street
0.4 mi·50 sec·Greenwell Street
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto Silverleaf Avenue
1.3 mi·2 min·Silverleaf Avenue
11
At end of road, turn left onto Mickens Road
0.6 mi·1 min·Mickens Road
12
Turn right
120 ft·6 sec
13
Turn slight right onto LA 408
1.1 mi·1 min·Hooper Road
14
Turn left onto Foster Road
1.3 mi·3 min·Foster Road
Use the left lane.
15
Turn left onto Northampton Drive
0.4 mi·1 min·Northampton Drive
16
At end of road, turn left onto Clearview Avenue
510 ft·22 sec·Clearview Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Clearview Avenue
Trip Plan
Given the short duration of just under two hours, you have the flexibility to leave New Orleans at your leisure. Since there are no designated stops provided in the data, plan your own breaks as needed, perhaps stopping for fuel before you depart or once you reach Brownsfield. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 70.4 miles on I-10, so be mindful of your fuel gauge before embarking on that segment. The estimated fuel cost is a modest $13, making this a budget-friendly excursion.
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 43.4 miles from New Orleans, LA, or about 50m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 70.4 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 19 miles or 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 43.4 miles or 50m 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 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brownsfield, LA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving New Orleans, LA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from New Orleans, LA
This is one driving day of about 86.9 miles and 1h 51m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from New Orleans, LA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 10 for about 70.4 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 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 83.3 — 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|Loyola Avenue
Turn right onto Loyola Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.2 mi into trip|~2m in|I 10
Merge onto I 10
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
71.5 mi into trip|~1h 22m in
Take the exit toward LA 3246: Siegen Lane
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 163
Toward LA 3246: Siegen Lane
7
81.6 mi into trip|~1h 39m in|Greenwell Street
Turn sharp right onto Greenwell Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
83.3 mi into trip|~1h 42m in|Mickens Road
At end of road, turn left onto Mickens Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.12 one way
$26.25 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg30 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$14.41
$28.81
premium
$4.56
$15.60
$31.20
diesel
$5.61
$19.19
$38.37
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: 30.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
26.1
0
$9.12
$4.17
Efficient EV
21.7
0
$7.60
$3.48
EV Truck/SUV
34.8
0
$12.17
$5.56
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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 17, 2026
Origin
New Orleans, LA
Night
in New Orleans on Saturday
Local time
11:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Mostly Clear
S 0 to 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Brownsfield, LA
Night
in Brownsfield on Saturday
Local time
11:44 PM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
86°F
Shenandoah, LA
43 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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
17 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 51m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Discover the roots of jazz at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. Located in the heart of the French Quarter, our park offers live performances, exhibits, and programs that celebrate the le...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience on this trip, with 81% of the drive taking place on faster roads. You'll spend a significant portion of your time on I-10, including a continuous stretch of 70.4 miles, which suggests a largely uninterrupted flow. While Airline Highway offers a slightly different feel, the overall character is one of steady progress rather than winding scenic byways. This route is designed for efficiency, so be prepared for a consistent driving pace for most of the journey.
81% 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: 70.4 mi on I 10.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 10 and Airline Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Loyola Avenue.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 51m drive. You will face about 13 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 (Loyola Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (I 10): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 71.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
The longest stretch is about 70.4 miles on I 10. 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 (Loyola Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (I 10): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 71.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Brownsfield, LA before heading back.
