Origin
Shelbyville, KY
Morning in Shelbyville on Sunday
Local time
9:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Shelbyville, KY to Louisville, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
31.7 mi
51 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Shelbyville, KY
Get Lost Mike
Louisville, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 31.7-mile drive from Shelbyville, KY to Louisville, KY takes about 40 minutes and is perfect for a day trip. The route is heavily focused on I-64, making it a straightforward journey. With a fuel cost estimated at $5 and no recommended stops, you can easily complete this trip in one go. You'll be traveling within the Southeast region of Kentucky for the entirety of this short hop. This drive is ideal if you're looking for efficiency and minimal travel time between these two points.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 64 | 26.9 mi | 32m |
| Taylorsville Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Midland Trail | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Washington Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North 3rd Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Jefferson Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 10th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 64
— 26.9 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Shelbyville, KY and Louisville, KY.
1
Start on 10th Street
82 ft
·
9 sec
·
10th Street
2
Turn left onto US 60; KY 53; KY 55 Business
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Street
3
Turn straight onto US 60; KY 55 Business
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Midland Trail
4
Turn left onto KY 55
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Taylorsville Road
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward I 64 West
6
Merge onto I 64
27 mi
·
32 min
·
I 64
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 5B
Toward 3rd Street, River Road, Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on North 3rd Street
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
North 3rd Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
9
Turn right onto West Jefferson Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
West Jefferson Street
10
Arrive at destination
West Jefferson Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 30.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 60; KY 53; KY 55 Business / Washington Street
Turn left onto US 60; KY 53; KY 55 Business / Washington Street
Navigation decision point
3
2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
KY 55 / Taylorsville Road
Turn left onto KY 55 / Taylorsville Road
Navigation decision point
5
3.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 64 West
Navigation decision point
Toward I 64 West
5
4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 64
Merge onto I 64
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
30.9 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward 3rd Street, River Road, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 5B
Toward 3rd Street, River Road, Downtown
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.96 one way
$9.91 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.44 | $10.88 |
| premium | $4.89 | $6.10 | $12.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.00 | $14.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.33 | $1.52 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Louisville, KY
Morning in Louisville on Sunday
Local time
9:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°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
25 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
40m 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 highway-focused experience for this trip, with 85% of the drive on interstates and major roads. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be 26.9 miles on I-64, providing a consistent pace. While primarily an interstate drive, you'll also touch upon Taylorsville Road and Midland Trail, offering brief glimpses of local thoroughfares before returning to faster speeds. The character remains predominantly that of a rapid transit corridor, connecting Shelbyville and Louisville with efficiency.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.9 mi on I 64.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 64 and Taylorsville Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 60; KY 53; KY 55 Business / Washington Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 40m drive. You will face about 6 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 60; KY 53; KY 55 Business / Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles (KY 55 / Taylorsville Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.6 miles: Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Louisville, KY
Full guide →Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky, is known for the Kentucky Derby horserace and as the "gateway to the south" from southern Indiana. It's a lively mid-sized city with an excellent dining scene, ample opportunities for bourbon tasting, and interesting public art. Louisville is also the namesake of the Official Bat of Major League Baseball — the Louisville Slugger.
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 40m. Total distance: 31.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.9 miles on I 64. 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 60; KY 53; KY 55 Business / Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles (KY 55 / Taylorsville Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.6 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Louisville, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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