Origin
Oak Grove, LA
Morning in Oak Grove on Sunday
Local time
11:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oak Grove, LA to New Orleans, LA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 18m
Distance
65.9 mi
106 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 31m
10 AM
1h 23m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oak Grove, LA
Emilio Sánchez Hernández
Trip Overview
Oak Grove to New Orleans is 65.9 miles and takes about 1 hour 18 minutes via I 10 and Pontchartrain Expressway, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip takes you from the Southeast region of Louisiana to its southern tip, primarily on interstate highways. Expect a straightforward drive focused on getting you to your destination efficiently. Given the short distance and duration, it's an ideal route for a same-day trip, allowing for plenty of time at your destination. The fuel cost is quite low, making it an economical choice.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 10 | 57.6 mi | 1h 5m |
| Pontchartrain Expressway | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| LA 73 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Old Jefferson Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Tulane Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Claiborne Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Airline Highway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 10
— 57.6 mi, about 1h 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oak Grove, LA and New Orleans, LA.
1
Start on LA 73
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Jefferson Highway
Use the straight lane.
2
At end of road, turn left onto US 61; LA 73
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Airline Highway
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto LA 73
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
LA 73
Use the straight lane.
4
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 10 East: New Orleans
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 10
57 mi
·
1 hr 4 min
·
I 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Pontchartrain Expressway
Toward New Orleans, Business District
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
I 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 234B
Toward Poydras Street, Superdome
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Turn left onto South Claiborne Avenue
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
South Claiborne Avenue
10
Turn right onto Tulane Avenue
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Tulane Avenue
11
Arrive at destination
Tulane Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
33 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 33 miles from Oak Grove, LA, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 65 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 61; LA 73 / Airline Highway
At end of road, turn left onto US 61; LA 73 / Airline Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Turn left toward I 10 East: New Orleans
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 10 East: New Orleans
8
61 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m in
|
I 10 / Pontchartrain Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10 / Pontchartrain Expressway toward New Orleans, Business District
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward New Orleans, Business District
6
64.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
|
I 10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 10
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
65 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Take the exit toward Poydras Street, Superdome
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 234B
Toward Poydras Street, Superdome
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.95 one way
$19.90 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $10.93 | $21.85 |
| premium | $4.56 | $11.83 | $23.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.55 | $29.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.8 | 0 | $6.92 | $3.16 |
| Efficient EV | 16.5 | 0 | $5.77 | $2.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.4 | 0 | $9.23 | $4.22 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (65% 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
New Orleans, LA
Morning in New Orleans on Sunday
Local time
11:20 AM
CDT
Current temp
65°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
14 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
1h 18m 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 route is overwhelmingly a highway-focused drive, with 97% of the journey on interstates and expressways. You'll spend most of your time on I 10, including a substantial uninterrupted stretch of 57.6 miles. The Pontchartrain Expressway and LA 73 provide the final connections. Expect consistent speeds and minimal traffic interference for the majority of the trip, making it a very direct and predictable drive. The character is less about the journey itself and more about swift transit.
97% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 57.6 mi on I 10.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 10 and Pontchartrain Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near US 61; LA 73 / Airline Highway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 65.9 miles you will encounter 10 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 1 miles (US 61; LA 73 / Airline Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 61 miles (I 10 / Pontchartrain Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Oak Grove, LA to New Orleans, LA, road signs begin pointing toward Business District along the way.
Business District
61 mi in
|
~1h 11m
|
via I 10
About the Cities
Arriving in New Orleans, LA
Full guide →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.
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 1h 18m. Total distance: 65.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 57.6 miles on I 10. 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 New Orleans, LA 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 1 miles (US 61; LA 73 / Airline Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 61 miles (I 10 / Pontchartrain Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at New Orleans, LA 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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