Traveling from Wiggins to Southaven covers 318.3 miles across Mississippi, taking approximately 6 hours and 7 minutes of pure drive time. Because this route is almost entirely highway-focused, you can comfortably complete the journey in a single day without needing an overnight stay. Expect to spend roughly $49 in fuel to make the trek. You will primarily navigate via US 49 and I-55 as you transition from the Southeast region toward the Memphis metropolitan area. It is a straightforward, functional drive that prioritizes efficiency over exploration, making it ideal for those focused on reaching their destination quickly.
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
159.1 miles from Wiggins, MS
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 13m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 55
195.7 mi
3h 31m
US 49
118.8 mi
2h 27m
North Magnolia Drive
2.3 mi
3m
Stateline Road West
0.4 mi
<1m
Millbranch Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Haleville Drive
0.2 mi
<1m
East College Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Five Oaks Drive North
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 55
— 195.7 mi, about 3h 31m
Traffic on I-55
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 57 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,443 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~141 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
17.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wiggins, MS and Southaven, MS.
1
Start on South 2nd Street
306 ft·18 sec·South 2nd Street
2
Turn left onto East College Avenue
0.2 mi·27 sec·East College Avenue
3
Turn right onto MS 29; MS 149
2.3 mi·3 min·North Magnolia Drive
4
Turn slight left onto MS 149
259 ft·8 sec·MS 149
5
Turn right onto US 49
24 mi·27 min·US 49
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on US 49
2.4 mi·2 min·US 49
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn straight onto US 49
10 mi·16 min·US 49
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on US 49; MS 42
5.4 mi·6 min·US 49; MS 42
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on US 49
5.3 mi·6 min·US 49
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on US 49
0.2 mi·14 sec·US 49
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on US 49
4.2 mi·4 min·US 49
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on US 49
66 mi·1 hr 20 min·US 49
Use the straight lane.
13
Take the exit onto US 49
0.2 mi·21 sec·US 49
14
Keep slight left at fork onto US 49
0.7 mi·1 min·US 49
Toward Jackson
15
Keep slight right at fork onto US 49
0.9 mi·1 min·US 49
16
Merge onto I 55
196 mi·3 hr 31 min·I 55
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Toward Southaven, Horn Lake
18
Turn left onto Stateline Road West
0.4 mi·53 sec·Stateline Road West
19
Turn left onto Millbranch Road
0.2 mi·36 sec·Millbranch Road
20
Turn right onto Haleville Drive
0.2 mi·53 sec·Haleville Drive
21
Turn left onto Five Oaks Drive North
0.1 mi·28 sec·Five Oaks Drive North
22
Arrive at destination
Five Oaks Drive West
Trip Plan
Since this is a one-day trip, planning your departure early helps you avoid potential congestion as you near the busier northern end of the state. You only need to build in one major stop to stay refreshed during the 6-hour and 7-minute duration. Keep a close eye on your fuel gauge before starting the 195.7-mile stretch on I-55, as consistent highway speeds can deplete your tank faster than expected. Utilizing the $49 fuel budget efficiently means filling up before you hit the longest interstate segments. Flexibility is your best asset here, so consider timing your single stop to coincide with a meal break to make the most of your time on the road.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 159.1 miles from Wiggins, MS, or about 3h 13m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 195.7 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 70 miles or 1h 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 159.1 miles or 3h 13m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 5h 3m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Southaven, MS than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Wiggins, 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 Wiggins, MS
This is one driving day of about 318.3 miles and 6h 7m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 70 miles from Wiggins, 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 195.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Final third
4.7 mi from route
~12 min detour
$10 to $20
Grenada, Mississippi
Hours: 6:30 AM–5 PM
+16625616063
Jenkins Farms Cooking
Later in the drive, short detour
Final third
1.8 mi from route
~5 min detour
Oakland, Mississippi
+16624177954
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 318.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|East College Avenue
Turn left onto East College Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
2.5 mi into trip|~4m in|US 49
Turn right onto US 49
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
119.7 mi into trip|~2h 29m in|US 49
Keep slight left at fork onto US 49 toward Jackson
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Jackson
5
317 mi into trip|~6h 3m in
Take the exit toward Southaven, Horn Lake
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Southaven, Horn Lake
5
318.2 mi into trip|~6h 6m in|Five Oaks Drive North
Turn left onto Five Oaks Drive North
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$44.19 one way
$88.37 round trip
$3.53/gal25.4 MPG avg111 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$3.95
$49.44
$98.87
premium
$4.29
$53.75
$107.50
diesel
$4.80
$60.10
$120.20
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$44
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$69–$94
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 111.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
95.5
1
$33.42
$15.28
Efficient EV
79.6
0
$27.85
$12.73
EV Truck/SUV
127.3
1
$44.56
$20.37
Gas CO2
111 kg
EV CO2
37 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Jul 17, 2026
Origin
Wiggins, MS
Evening
in Wiggins on Saturday
Local time
8:32 PM
CDT
Current temp
97°F
Mostly Sunny
NW 5 mph6% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Southaven, MS
Evening
in Southaven on Saturday
Local time
8:32 PM
CDT
Current temp
94°F
Sunny
W 10 mph5% chanceLive forecast
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
6h 7m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
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.
Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument
National Monument
Medgar and Myrlie Evers were partners in the civil rights struggle. The assassination of Medgar Evers in the carport of their home on June 12, 1963, was the first murder of a nationally significant le...
5 mi from route
~13 min detour
Free
near mile 120.7
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 252.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is defined by its high-speed efficiency, with 99% of your travel occurring on major highways. You will spend the vast majority of your time on I-55, which accounts for a significant 195.7-mile stretch of the journey. While US 49 handles the initial portion of your route, the experience is largely a focused interstate grind. Expect a consistent pace as you transition from the smaller roads near Wiggins onto the high-capacity lanes of the interstate. It is a predictable drive that requires steady focus rather than technical maneuvering, allowing you to cover long distances with minimal variation in road type.
99% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 195.7 mi on I 55.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 55 and US 49. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East College Avenue.
Driving Effort6/10
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 318.3 miles you will encounter 12 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 (East College Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (US 49): Lane positioning matters here; at 119.7 miles (US 49): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
368 ft209 ft
Total Climb
421 ft
Total Descent
370 ft
Highest Point
368 ft
~204.6 mi in
Elevation Range
160 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Wiggins, MS to Southaven, MS, road signs begin pointing toward Jackson along the way.
Jackson
119.7 mi in|~2h 29m|via US 49
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Stone County is a county in the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Wiggins is the largest and only incorporated city in the county. Aside from its close ties with the timber industry, its early 20th century past is littered with the accounts of lynchings and mob rule, though now people are generally caught up in the Pine Hill Festival in late April each year.
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 7m. Total distance: 318.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 7m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 195.7 miles on I 55. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza 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.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Southaven, MS before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 1 rest area along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East College Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (US 49): Lane positioning matters here; at 119.7 miles (US 49): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes — Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument and Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.1 hours each way, a round trip means 12.2 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Southaven, MS before the return drive.
