Traveling from Southaven to Forest covers 191.8 miles and typically takes about 4 hours of driving time. Since this route is well-suited for a single day of travel, you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay. You can expect to spend roughly $29 on fuel for the journey, making it a budget-friendly way to cross Mississippi. The trip transitions you through the Southeast region, utilizing a blend of major interstates and state highways to reach your destination. Whether you are heading out for business or a visit, the straightforward nature of this path makes it a reliable choice for a quick transit.
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
95.9 miles from Southaven, MS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 44m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 55
115.8 mi
2h 4m
Veterans Memorial Drive
47 mi
1h 9m
MS 35
24.3 mi
36m
South Huntington Street
1.4 mi
2m
Woodland Drive North
1.2 mi
1m
West 3rd Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Stateline Road West
0.3 mi
<1m
Millbranch Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 55
— 115.8 mi, about 2h 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Southaven, MS and Forest, MS.
1
Start on Five Oaks Drive West
0.1 mi·30 sec·Five Oaks Drive West
2
Turn right onto Haleville Drive
0.2 mi·53 sec·Haleville Drive
3
At end of road, turn left onto Millbranch Road
0.2 mi·38 sec·Millbranch Road
4
Turn right onto Stateline Road West
0.3 mi·29 sec·Stateline Road West
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi·59 sec
6
Merge onto I 55; I 69
116 mi·2 hr 4 min·I 55; I 69
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi·41 sec
8
Turn left onto MS 35; MS 430
24 mi·36 min·MS 35; MS 430
9
Turn left onto East Jefferson Street
0.1 mi·15 sec·East Jefferson Street
10
Turn right onto South Huntington Street
1.4 mi·2 min·South Huntington Street
11
Turn right onto MS 19; MS 35
47 mi·1 hr 9 min·Veterans Memorial Drive
12
Continue on MS 35
1.2 mi·1 min·Woodland Drive North
13
Turn left onto US 80
0.3 mi·35 sec·West 3rd Street
14
Turn left onto North Banks Street
187 ft·5 sec·North Banks Street
15
Arrive at destination
North Banks Street
Trip Plan
Since the total drive time is approximately 4 hours, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure around local traffic patterns. You should account for at least one planned stop to break up the 191.8-mile trip, especially during the long opening stretch on I-55. Keep a close eye on your fuel gauge before you transition off the interstate, as service availability may change once you turn onto MS 35. Because the route is compact enough for a single day, try to leave early in the morning to ensure you reach Forest with plenty of daylight remaining. Taking advantage of the mid-route stop will help you stay refreshed for the final approach on state roads.
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 95.9 miles from Southaven, MS, or about 1h 44m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 115.8 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 42 miles or 47m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 95.9 miles or 1h 44m 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 8m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Forest, MS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Southaven, 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 Southaven, MS
This is one driving day of about 191.8 miles and 4h.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 42 miles from Southaven, 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 115.8 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 141.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Haleville Drive
Turn right onto Haleville Drive
Navigation decision point
6
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|Millbranch Road
At end of road, turn left onto Millbranch Road
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
4
0.6 mi into trip|~2m in|Stateline Road West
Turn right onto Stateline Road West
Navigation decision point
4
117.4 mi into trip|~2h 8m in|MS 35; MS 430
Turn left onto MS 35; MS 430
Navigation decision point
4
141.8 mi into trip|~2h 45m in|South Huntington Street
Turn right onto South Huntington Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$28.97 one way
$57.93 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg67 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$31.80
$63.60
premium
$4.56
$34.43
$68.85
diesel
$5.61
$42.35
$84.69
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$29
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 67.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $20 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
57.5
0
$20.14
$9.21
Efficient EV
48
0
$16.78
$7.67
EV Truck/SUV
76.7
0
$26.85
$12.28
Gas CO2
67 kg
EV CO2
22 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.
Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026
Origin
Southaven, MS
Late night
in Southaven on Tuesday
Local time
3:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Forest, MS
Late night
in Forest on Tuesday
Local time
3:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
83°F
Winona, MS
96 mi in
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
3 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
4h 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 66.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is heavily highway-focused, with 73% of your travel occurring on high-speed routes. You will spend the bulk of your time on I-55, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 115.8 miles. After leaving the interstate, the character of the road shifts as you navigate via Veterans Memorial Drive and MS 35. While the initial portion offers the efficiency of a major corridor, the latter half introduces a different pace as you move toward Forest. Expect a transition from the heavy traffic of the interstate to the more localized flow of state-maintained roadways.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 115.8 mi on I 55.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
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 around 0.1 miles in near Haleville Drive.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 4h drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Haleville Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Millbranch Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.6 miles (Stateline Road West): Navigation decision point.
Forest is a city in the Mississippi Pines region of Mississippi. One thing about Forest, the name doesn't fail to live up to its surroundings, as you'll feel pretty immersed in that passing through these parts.
The longest stretch is about 115.8 miles on I 55. 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, 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: at 0.1 miles (Haleville Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Millbranch Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.6 miles (Stateline Road West): Navigation decision point.
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 4.0 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.0 hours — manageable with a long break at Forest, MS, but most travelers stay overnight.
