Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
70.3 mi
113 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Olive Branch, MS
Wikimedia Commons
Ecru, MS
Davis Vidal
The drive from Olive Branch, MS to Ecru, MS covers 70.3 miles and takes about 1h 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 78, MS 15, Cockrum Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 59.4 miles on US 78. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.30 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 78 | 59.4 mi | 1h 3m |
| MS 15 | 8.3 mi | 11m |
| Cockrum Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| MS 30 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Central Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Church Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Goodman Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Olive Branch, MS and Ecru, MS.
Start on Goodman Road
Turn left onto MS 305
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 78
Take the exit onto MS 30
Keep slight right at fork onto MS 30
Turn right onto MS 15
Turn left onto MS 345
Turn left onto Central Avenue
Turn right onto Church Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
35 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 35.2 miles from Olive Branch, MS, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 70.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Merge onto US 78
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto MS 30 toward MS 15, MS 30 East: Pontotoc, Ripley
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork onto MS 30 toward MS 15, MS 30 East: Pontotoc, Ripley
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto MS 345 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto Church Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$10.30 one way
$20.60 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.13 | $11.43 | $22.87 |
| premium | $4.49 | $12.42 | $24.83 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $15.50 | $30.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.1 | 0 | $7.38 | $3.37 |
| Efficient EV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.15 | $2.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 28.1 | 0 | $9.84 | $4.50 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Night in Olive Branch on Saturday
Local time
9:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
75°F
Mostly Clear
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 12:34PM CDT until August 31 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Memphis TN
Destination
Night in Ecru on Saturday
Local time
9:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Mostly Clear
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued August 30 at 12:34PM CDT until August 31 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Memphis TN
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.
70.3 mi in 1h 21m, mostly highway — 59.4 mi of that is on US 78.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 78 and MS 15. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near US 78.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 21m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (US 78): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 60.9 miles (MS 30): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 61.2 miles (MS 30): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
320 ft
Total Descent
335 ft
Highest Point
589 ft
~25.1 mi in
Elevation Range
252 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Olive Branch, MS to Ecru, MS, road signs begin pointing toward Ripley along the way.
Ripley
Olive Branch is a city in the Mississippi Hills. It is a suburb of Memphis, just to the south of the Tennessee state line.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 21m. Total distance: 70.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Straightforward navigation.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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