Origin
Ruston, LA
Afternoon in Ruston on Sunday
Local time
2:18 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ruston, LA to Shreveport, 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
69 mi
111 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
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.
Ruston, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Shreveport, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Ruston to Shreveport is 69 miles and takes about 1 hour 18 minutes via I 20, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Louisiana, moving from the Southeast region to another part of the Southeast. The route is predominantly highway, making it a straightforward drive. It's a good option for a quick transit or if you're looking to connect two points without a significant time commitment. Consider this if you need to get from Ruston to Shreveport efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 20 | 66.1 mi | 1h 11m |
| South Vienna Street | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| US 71 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Crockett Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Woodward Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East California Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| River Parkway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 20
— 66.1 mi, about 1h 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ruston, LA and Shreveport, LA.
1
Start on LA 146
167 ft
·
8 sec
·
East California Avenue
2
Turn right onto US 80; US 167; LA 146
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
South Vienna Street
3
Turn left onto Woodward Avenue
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Woodward Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
5
Merge onto I 20
66 mi
·
1 hr 11 min
·
I 20
6
Take the exit onto US 71
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
US 71
Toward US 71 North, LA 1: Market Street, Spring Street
7
Keep slight right at fork onto US 71
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
US 71
Toward US 71 North, LA 1 North: Spring Street
8
Turn right onto Crockett Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Crockett Street
9
At end of road, turn left onto Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway
10
Turn slight right onto River Parkway
68 ft
·
1 sec
·
River Parkway
11
Arrive at destination
River Parkway
Where to Stop
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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 34.5 miles from Ruston, LA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 20 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 66.1 miles.
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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 68.1 — 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 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna Street
Turn right onto US 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna Street
Navigation decision point
5
67.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
US 71
Take the exit onto US 71 toward US 71 North, LA 1: Market Street, Spring Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 71 North, LA 1: Market Street, Spring...
7
67.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
US 71
Keep slight right at fork onto US 71 toward US 71 North, LA 1 North: Spring Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 71 North, LA 1 North: Spring Street
5
68 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
|
Crockett Street
Turn right onto Crockett Street
Navigation decision point
5
68.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
|
Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway
At end of road, turn left onto Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.42 one way
$20.84 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $11.44 | $22.88 |
| premium | $4.56 | $12.38 | $24.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $15.23 | $30.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.7 | 0 | $7.24 | $3.31 |
| Efficient EV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.04 | $2.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.6 | 0 | $9.66 | $4.42 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (67% 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
Shreveport, LA
Afternoon in Shreveport on Sunday
Local time
2:18 PM
CDT
Current temp
57°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
20 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 drive is almost entirely on the interstate, with 98% of the 69 miles spent on highway. You'll have a continuous stretch of 66.1 miles on I 20 before transitioning to surface streets. Expect dense exits as you approach Shreveport on Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway. The feel is primarily highway cruising until the very end.
98% 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: 66.1 mi on I 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and South Vienna Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna 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 1h 18m 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: near the start (US 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna Street): Navigation decision point; at 67.6 miles (US 71): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 67.7 miles (US 71): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Shreveport, LA
Full guide →Shreveport is the largest city in Northern Louisiana, part of the twin city metro of Shreveport-Bossier City, and is considered the principal city in the three-state region known as the "Ark-La-Tex." It has about 188,000 residents (2019), and is in the area of the state designated as the Sportsman's Paradise. Many lakes and rivers are in the area and offer recreational activities. The surrounding area is also a contrast from points in southern Louisiana, in that the landscape is marked by rolling hills and pine forests, being an extension of the Texas region known as the Piney Woods.
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: 69 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 (98%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 66.1 miles on I 20. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 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.
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 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna Street): Navigation decision point; at 67.6 miles (US 71): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 67.7 miles (US 71): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Shreveport, 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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