Paragould, AR to Magnolia, AR is 291.3 miles and takes about 5h 31m via US 412 and I-30, with a fuel budget near $46 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Arkansas, connecting the Southeast region. It's a straightforward, mostly highway drive that should be manageable for a single day. Plan for a fairly direct path with minimal detours. You'll encounter a good amount of interstate driving, making it a practical option for getting between these two points efficiently.
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
145.7 miles from Paragould, AR
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 37m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 412
94.7 mi
1h 38m
I 30
91.7 mi
1h 34m
I 57
28.1 mi
29m
West Kings Highway
24.5 mi
29m
US 278
17.9 mi
26m
US 371
17 mi
25m
East McKissack
7.2 mi
10m
US 167
4.9 mi
6m
Longest stretch:
US 412
— 94.7 mi, about 1h 38m
Traffic on I-30
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 4 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~1,309 veh/hr typical
· worst 1,675
Quietest
2 AM
~282 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
4.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 21 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 Paragould, AR and Magnolia, AR.
1
Start on Winchester
0.2 mi·44 sec·Winchester
2
At end of road, turn right onto Hayes Place
237 ft·15 sec·Hayes Place
3
Turn left onto West Hunt Street
0.2 mi·32 sec·West Hunt Street
4
At end of road, turn left onto North 14th Street
51 ft·2 sec·North 14th Street
5
Turn right onto West Hunt Street
251 ft·13 sec·West Hunt Street
6
Turn left onto US 49; AR 1
0.2 mi·20 sec·US 49; AR 1
7
Turn right onto US 49Y
0.4 mi·41 sec·West Court Street
8
Turn right onto US 412B
25 mi·29 min·West Kings Highway
9
Take the exit onto US 412
95 mi·1 hr 38 min·US 412
10
Continue on I 57; US 167
28 mi·29 min·I 57; US 167
11
Merge onto I 40; US 167
0.9 mi·1 min·I 40; US 167
12
Take the exit onto US 167
4.9 mi·6 min·US 167
Toward I 30 West, US 65 South, US 67 South, US 167 South: Little Rock
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 30; US 67
24 mi·26 min·I 30; US 67
Exit 138Toward TexarkanaUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 30; US 70
68 mi·1 hr 7 min·I 30; US 70
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi·38 sec
Toward AR 19: Prescott
16
Turn left onto AR 19
2.4 mi·4 min·Delight Highway
17
Turn right onto US 67; US 371
0.4 mi·39 sec·West 1st Street South
18
Turn right onto US 371
17 mi·25 min·US 371
19
At end of road, turn left onto US 278; US 371
18 mi·26 min·US 278; US 371
20
Turn left onto US 371
7.2 mi·10 min·East McKissack
21
Turn left onto West Main Street
0.1 mi·12 sec·West Main Street
22
Enter roundabout onto East Main Street
443 ft·10 sec·East Main Street
23
Continue on East Main Street
326 ft·9 sec·East Main Street
24
Turn right onto US 79B; AR 19
10 ft·0 sec·Jackson Street
25
Arrive at destination
US 79B; AR 19
Trip Plan
This 5h 31m drive is well within the limits for a single day, so you can leave anytime in the morning and still arrive before dark. Aim to depart Paragould by mid-morning to allow for a comfortable pace. The longest stretch without a major exit is 94.7 miles on US 412, so make sure you have adequate fuel before starting that segment. With a fuel cost estimate around $46, you can budget accordingly. Plan for a single significant stop to break up the drive, perhaps around the halfway point.
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 145.7 miles from Paragould, AR, or about 2h 37m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 94.7 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 64 miles or 1h 12m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 145.7 miles or 2h 37m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 15m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Magnolia, AR than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Paragould, AR 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 Paragould, AR
This is one driving day of about 291.3 miles and 5h 31m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 64 miles from Paragould, AR.
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 US 412 for about 94.7 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 19
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 291.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|Hayes Place
At end of road, turn right onto Hayes Place
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.2 mi into trip|~1m in|West Hunt Street
Turn left onto West Hunt Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|North 14th Street
At end of road, turn left onto North 14th Street
Navigation decision point
8
154.3 mi into trip|~2h 48m in|I 30; US 67
Keep slight right at fork onto I 30; US 67 toward Texarkana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 138
Toward Texarkana
7
291.2 mi into trip|~5h 31m in|East Main Street
Enter roundabout onto East Main Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$40.44 one way
$80.88 round trip
$3.53/gal25.4 MPG avg102 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$3.95
$45.24
$90.49
premium
$4.29
$49.19
$98.38
diesel
$4.80
$55.00
$110.01
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$40
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$65–$90
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 101.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $31 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
87.4
1
$30.59
$13.98
Efficient EV
72.8
0
$25.49
$11.65
EV Truck/SUV
116.5
1
$40.78
$18.64
Gas CO2
102 kg
EV CO2
34 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Jul 17, 2026
Origin
Paragould, AR
Night
in Paragould on Saturday
Local time
9:50 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Mostly Clear
WSW 5 mph11% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Magnolia, AR
Night
in Magnolia on Saturday
Local time
9:50 PM
CDT
Current temp
75°F
Mostly Cloudy
0 mph11% 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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 31m 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.
Hot Springs National Park
National Park
Hot Springs National Park has a rich cultural past. The grand architecture of our historic bathhouses is equally matched by the natural curiosities that have been drawing people here for hundreds of y...
15 mi from route
~39 min detour
Free
near mile 200.9
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend 88% of this 291.3-mile drive on highways. The longest continuous stretch on a single highway is 94.7 miles, which occurs on US 412. After this, you'll transition to interstate driving. Expect a consistent flow of traffic and relatively frequent exits as you navigate I-30 and I-57.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 94.7 mi on US 412.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 412 and I 30. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Hayes Place.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 5h 31m drive. You will face about 19 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Hayes Place): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (West Hunt Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (North 14th Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
393 ft187 ft
Total Climb
352 ft
Total Descent
311 ft
Highest Point
393 ft
~187.3 mi in
Elevation Range
206 ft
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 Paragould, AR to Magnolia, AR, road signs begin pointing toward Texarkana along the way.
The longest stretch is about 94.7 miles on US 412. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas 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.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 2 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Hayes Place): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (West Hunt Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (North 14th Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Hot Springs National Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.5 hours each way, a round trip means 11.0 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Magnolia, AR before the return drive.
