Olive Branch, MS to Raleigh, MS is 221.8 miles and takes about 4h 46m via I 55 and MS 35, with a fuel budget near $32 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Mississippi, connecting the Southeast region. The route is mostly highway driving, making it a straightforward option for a single-day trip. Consider this drive if you're looking for an efficient way to cover ground within the state, with minimal need for extensive planning.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
110.9 miles from Olive Branch, MS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 4m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 55
106.4 mi
1h 54m
Veterans Memorial Drive
47 mi
1h 9m
MS 35
24.3 mi
36m
Woodland Drive North
23.9 mi
35m
I 269
9.2 mi
9m
Cockrum Road
6.2 mi
11m
Mimosa Drive
1.5 mi
2m
South Huntington Street
1.4 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
I 55
— 106.4 mi, about 1h 54m
Traffic on I-55
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,078 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,395
Quietest
2 AM
~98 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 103 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Olive Branch, MS and Raleigh, MS.
1
Start on Goodman Road
260 ft·12 sec·Goodman Road
2
Turn left onto MS 305
6.2 mi·11 min·Cockrum Road
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·41 sec
Toward Tunica
4
Merge onto I 269; MS 304
9.2 mi·9 min·I 269; MS 304
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi·44 sec
Toward I 55 South: Jackson
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi·1 min
Toward I 55 South: Jackson
7
Merge onto I 55
106 mi·1 hr 54 min·I 55
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi·41 sec
9
Turn left onto MS 35; MS 430
24 mi·36 min·MS 35; MS 430
10
Turn left onto East Jefferson Street
0.1 mi·15 sec·East Jefferson Street
11
Turn right onto South Huntington Street
1.4 mi·2 min·South Huntington Street
12
Turn right onto MS 19; MS 35
47 mi·1 hr 9 min·Veterans Memorial Drive
13
Continue on MS 35
24 mi·35 min·Woodland Drive North
14
Continue on MS 35
1.5 mi·2 min·Mimosa Drive
15
Turn left onto Sylvarena Avenue
169 ft·4 sec·Sylvarena Avenue
16
Arrive at destination
Sylvarena Avenue
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 46m duration, leaving Olive Branch in the morning is your best bet to arrive in Raleigh with ample daylight. With only one recommended stop, you have flexibility in pacing yourself. Plan your fuel stops, especially considering the $32 estimated cost and the 106.4-mile longest stretch on I 55. While the drive is manageable in a single day, remember that driving entirely on MS 35 will involve more local roads and potentially slower speeds compared to the interstate portion.
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 110.9 miles from Olive Branch, MS, or about 2h 4m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 106.4 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 49 miles or 58m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 110.9 miles or 2h 4m 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 46m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Raleigh, MS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Olive Branch, MS 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 Olive Branch, MS
This is one driving day of about 221.8 miles and 4h 46m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 49 miles from Olive Branch, MS.
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 55 for about 106.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway reset
3.6 mi from route
~9 min detour
$10 to $20
Grenada, Mississippi
Hours: 6:30 AM–5 PM
+16625616063
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 123.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|MS 305 / Cockrum Road
Turn left onto MS 305 / Cockrum Road
Navigation decision point
4
6.3 mi into trip|~11m in
Take the ramp toward Tunica
Navigation decision point
Toward Tunica
4
15.8 mi into trip|~21m in
Take the exit toward I 55 South: Jackson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 55 South: Jackson
5
16.1 mi into trip|~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 55 South: Jackson
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 55 South: Jackson
4
123.6 mi into trip|~2h 18m in|MS 35; MS 430
Turn left onto MS 35; MS 430
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$34.53 one way
$69.05 round trip
$3.95/gal25.4 MPG avg78 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$38.06
$76.13
premium
$4.71
$41.14
$82.28
diesel
$6.18
$53.96
$107.91
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$35
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$60–$85
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 77.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-12.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
66.5
0
$23.29
$10.65
Efficient EV
55.5
0
$19.41
$8.87
EV Truck/SUV
88.7
1
$31.05
$14.20
Gas CO2
78 kg
EV CO2
26 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Oct 19, 2026
Origin
Olive Branch, MS
Morning
in Olive Branch on Monday
Local time
8:08 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Clear
ESE 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Raleigh, MS
Morning
in Raleigh on Monday
Local time
8:08 AM
CDT
Current temp
45°F
Mostly Clear
ENE 0 to 5 mph0% chanceLive 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
1 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
4h 46m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
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.
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument
National Monument
In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till traveled to Money, Mississippi, to visit relatives. He was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered after reportedly whistling at a white woman. His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley...
28 mi from route
~71 min detour
Free
near mile 68.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 63% of your time on highways, with the longest uninterrupted stretch being 106.4 miles on I 55. The profile is mostly highway, meaning you'll encounter a consistent cruising speed for a significant portion of the drive. After the highway sections, you'll transition to roads like Veterans Memorial Drive and MS 35, which will feel more like surface road driving with potentially more local traffic and varied speed limits.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 106.4 mi on I 55.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 55 and Veterans Memorial Drive. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MS 305 / Cockrum Road.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h 46m drive. You will face about 12 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 (MS 305 / Cockrum Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 15.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The longest stretch is about 106.4 miles on I 55. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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: near the start (MS 305 / Cockrum Road): Navigation decision point; at 6.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 15.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes — Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 4.8 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 9.5 hours — manageable with a long break at Raleigh, MS, but most travelers stay overnight.
