Origin
Paris, KY
Late night in Paris on Sunday
Local time
2:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Paris, KY to Lexington, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
22.8 mi
37 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Paris, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 22.8-mile drive from Paris, KY to Lexington, KY, will take you about 32 minutes to complete. It's a straightforward trip that's perfect for a single-day adventure, with no need to break it up into an overnight stay. You'll be navigating a mix of local roads, with a low highway share of 5%, making for a more direct, turn-heavy experience. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this is an economical option for exploring the Southeast region of Kentucky. This route is ideal if you're looking for a quick transition between two nearby points without much time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington Road | 6.8 mi | 7m |
| Paris Pike | 5.9 mi | 6m |
| West New Circle Road | 5.2 mi | 8m |
| North Broadway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Pimlico Parkway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Alumni Drive | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| High Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Lexington Road
— 6.8 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Paris, KY and Lexington, KY.
1
Start on this road
46 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto US 68 Business
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
High Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto US 68 Business
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
4
Continue on US 27; US 68
6.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Lexington Road
5
Continue on US 27; US 68
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Paris Pike
6
Continue on US 27; US 68
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broadway
7
Turn left onto KY 4
5.2 mi
·
8 min
·
West New Circle Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 16
Toward Alumni Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto Alumni Drive
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
Alumni Drive
10
Turn right onto Yellowstone Parkway
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Yellowstone Parkway
11
Turn right onto Pimlico Parkway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Pimlico Parkway
12
Turn right onto Gainesway Drive
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Gainesway Drive
13
Turn right onto Coldstream Drive
261 ft
·
9 sec
·
Coldstream Drive
14
Arrive at destination
Coldstream Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.4 — 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
|
US 68 Business / High Street
Turn left onto US 68 Business / High Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 68 Business / Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto US 68 Business / Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
15.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
KY 4 / West New Circle Road
Turn left onto KY 4 / West New Circle Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
20.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Alumni Drive
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16
Toward Alumni Drive
4
21.4 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
Yellowstone Parkway
Turn right onto Yellowstone Parkway
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.56 one way
$7.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.91 | $7.83 |
| premium | $4.89 | $4.39 | $8.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.03 | $10.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Lexington, KY
Late night in Lexington on Sunday
Local time
2:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
32m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, characterized by its profile. The journey primarily utilizes Lexington Road, Paris Pike, and West New Circle Road, offering a varied driving experience. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 6.8 miles on Lexington Road. Given its low highway share of 5%, this drive is less about high-speed cruising and more about navigating through local areas, providing a more connected feel to the landscape you're passing through.
Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.8 mi on Lexington Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 68 Business / High Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 32m drive. You will face about 9 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 (US 68 Business / High Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (US 68 Business / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.6 miles (KY 4 / West New Circle Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Lexington, KY
Full guide →Lexington is the second largest city in Kentucky, located in the Bluegrass Region. Known as the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington has traditionally been dominated by the horse industry and is also heavily influenced by the University of Kentucky, the state's flagship university and the largest employer in the city. The horse industry has greatly influenced Lexington's culture and scenic beauty; the University of Kentucky and Transylvania University contribute to a college town atmosphere with a richer and more diverse culture than some might expect from its size and location. Lexington's compact central downtown district is surrounded by historic neighborhoods. Lexington is in the heart of the Bluegrass region of Kentucky and is still home to hundreds of horse farms.
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 32m. Total distance: 22.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (5%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.8 miles on Lexington Road. 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 (US 68 Business / High Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (US 68 Business / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.6 miles (KY 4 / West New Circle Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Camp Nelson National Monument. 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 Lexington, KY 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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