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
24.8 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Starkville, MS
Wikimedia Commons
Columbus, MS
Wikimedia Commons
Connecting Starkville and Columbus, this 24.8-mile journey is a quick transition across Mississippi’s Southeast region. You can easily complete the drive in about 32 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of approximately $4, the route is highly economical for those commuting between these two neighboring communities. Since the entire trip takes less than an hour, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics or mid-trip hotel stays. It is a straightforward, no-nonsense path that prioritizes efficiency over long-distance exploration.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 82 | 19.2 mi | 20m |
| MS 12 | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Highway 182 East | 1 mi | 1m |
| Martin Luther King, Junior Drive East | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Victory Lane | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Eckford Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North 6th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Starkville, MS and Columbus, MS.
Start on this road
Turn left
Continue on Victory Lane
Continue on Eckford Drive
Turn right onto MS 12
Turn slight right
Turn straight onto MS 182
Continue on MS 182
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 82; MS 12; MS 25
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto MS 69
Enter roundabout onto MS 69; MS 182
Continue on MS 69; MS 182
Turn left onto North 6th Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 24.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp toward US 82 East, MS 12 East, MS 25 North: Columbus, West Point
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Enter roundabout onto MS 69; MS 182 / Main Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Turn left onto North 6th Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$3.75 one way
$7.49 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $4.11 | $8.22 |
| premium | $4.56 | $4.45 | $8.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.48 | $10.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.17 | $0.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.47 | $1.59 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Starkville on Sunday
Local time
2:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Columbus on Sunday
Local time
2:58 AM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Expect a highway-focused experience, as 89% of your time will be spent cruising on major routes like US 82, MS 12, and Highway 182 East. The personality of this drive is defined by its speed and directness rather than winding, scenic backroads. You will settle into a consistent rhythm during the longest stretch of the trip, which spans 19.2 miles on US 82. Because the drive is so condensed, the character remains uniform from start to finish, providing a reliable and predictable path for your travel.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 82 and MS 12. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 24.8 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
135 ft
Total Descent
255 ft
Highest Point
372 ft
~1.8 mi in
Elevation Range
200 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Starkville, MS to Columbus, MS, road signs begin pointing toward Point along the way.
Point
Columbus is a city in eastern Mississippi, near the border with Alabama. In some ways, the history of Columbus parallels that of Jackson's, as both were established around 1820 after Mississippi was admitted to statehood and both served as logistics centers for the Confederacy during the Civil War. However, unlike Jackson, Columbus was largely spared destruction because General Nathan Bedford Forrest prevented Northern forces from accessing it. As a result, Columbus was briefly made Mississippi's capital following Jackson's plight at the hands of Sherman and is noted for its historic preservation. Another unique detail about Columbus is that it features the oldest public school in Mississippi as well as the country's first public women's university, as noted below.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 24.8 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 (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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