Origin
Tompkinsville, KY
Morning in Tompkinsville on Sunday
Local time
9:47 AM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Tompkinsville, KY to Bowling Green, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
63 mi
101 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Tompkinsville, KY
Kelly
Bowling Green, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Tompkinsville to Bowling Green, this 59.4-mile trek is a straightforward connection across Kentucky. Clocking in at approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes, the journey is easily manageable as a single-day trip, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. You should budget about $9 for fuel to cover the distance, making this an affordable transit between these two southeastern communities. Since the route relies entirely on local roads rather than interstate travel, it offers a direct way to navigate the region. Whether you are heading to the city for business or leisure, this path provides a reliable, no-nonsense connection that gets you there in just over an hour.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 65 | 16.5 mi | 17m |
| Cumberland Parkway | 13.6 mi | 14m |
| Edmonton Road | 10.9 mi | 12m |
| Burkesville Road | 10.8 mi | 12m |
| Summer Shade Road | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| Fairview Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Cemetery Road | 1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 65
— 16.5 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Tompkinsville, KY and Bowling Green, KY.
1
Start on KY 63
61 ft
·
9 sec
·
West 4th Street
2
Turn left onto KY 163
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
North Main Street
3
Continue on KY 163
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Edmonton Road
4
Turn left onto KY 90
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Summer Shade Road
5
Continue on Burkesville Road
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Burkesville Road
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
7
Merge onto Cumberland Parkway
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Cumberland Parkway
8
Continue on Cumberland Parkway
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
·
Cumberland Parkway
Exit 1B
Toward I 65 South: Bowling Green
9
Continue on Cumberland Expressway
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Cumberland Expressway
10
Merge onto I 65
17 mi
·
17 min
·
I 65
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Toward KY 234: Bowling Green
12
Turn right onto KY 234
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Cemetery Road
13
Continue on KY 234
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Fairview Avenue
14
Continue on KY 234
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
East 6th Avenue
15
Turn left onto Chestnut Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Chestnut Street
16
Turn right
398 ft
·
34 sec
17
Turn left
120 ft
·
8 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.5 miles from Tompkinsville, KY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 62.9 — 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
|
KY 163 / North Main Street
Turn left onto KY 163 / North Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
59.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
Take the exit toward KY 234: Bowling Green
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward KY 234: Bowling Green
4
59.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
|
KY 234 / Cemetery Road
Turn right onto KY 234 / Cemetery Road
Navigation decision point
4
62.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
|
Chestnut Street
Turn left onto Chestnut Street
Navigation decision point
4
62.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.85 one way
$19.70 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.81 | $21.63 |
| premium | $4.89 | $12.12 | $24.25 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.91 | $27.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.9 | 0 | $6.61 | $3.02 |
| Efficient EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.51 | $2.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.2 | 0 | $8.82 | $4.03 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Bowling Green, KY
Morning in Bowling Green on Sunday
Local time
9:47 AM
CDT
Current temp
75°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
W 7 to 12 mph
75% chance
Live forecast
75°F
Glasgow, KY
32 mi in
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
23 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
1h 14m on the road
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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. You won't be cruising on any major highways, as this route consists entirely of local roads like North Main Street, Edmonton Road, and Summer Shade Road. Because the highway share is 0%, the pace is dictated by the curves and intersections of the local landscape rather than high-speed interstate flow. The lack of long, uninterrupted stretches means you will experience a more technical drive that requires your full attention. It is a practical path that prioritizes local connectivity over the monotonous, straight-line experience of typical highway travel.
49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.5 mi on I 65.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near KY 163 / North Main 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 14m drive. You will face about 10 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 (KY 163 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 59.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 59.5 miles (KY 234 / Cemetery Road): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Bowling Green, KY
Full guide →Bowling Green is the third-largest city in Kentucky, with nearly 60,000 residents. Bowling Green is the hub of activity in the Caves and Lakes region.
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 14m. Total distance: 63 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (49%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.5 miles on I 65. 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 (KY 163 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 59.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 59.5 miles (KY 234 / Cemetery Road): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Mammoth Cave National Park. 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 Bowling Green, 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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