Origin
Bay, AR
Late night in Bay on Saturday
Local time
4:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bay, AR to Jonesboro, AR
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
12.9 mi
21 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bay, AR
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Bay, AR to Jonesboro, AR is 12.9 miles and takes about 18 minutes via Joe N Martin Expressway and AR 463, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Arkansas, moving from the Southeast region to the Southeast region. It's a straightforward trip, mostly on highway, making it ideal for a quick commute or a short hop between towns. You won't need to worry about extensive planning for this brief journey, as it's easily manageable within a few hours.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 12.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This drive has a 73% highway share, meaning you'll experience a good amount of faster-paced travel. The longest stretch without a significant change in road type is 8.5 miles on the Joe N Martin Expressway. You'll primarily navigate on highways like the Joe N Martin Expressway and AR 463, with a portion on South Main Street. The profile indicates a highway-focused drive, so expect smooth sailing for most of the 12.9 miles, with minimal turns or slower local road sections.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Joe N Martin Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Joe N Martin Expressway and South Main Street. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near AR 158 / Elder Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 12.9 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 0.2 miles (AR 158 / Elder Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (I 555 / Joe N Martin Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
AR 158 / Elder Street
Turn left onto AR 158 / Elder Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 555 / Joe N Martin Expressway
Merge onto I 555 / Joe N Martin Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
10.1 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward Harrisburg rd
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 44
Toward Harrisburg rd
7
10.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
11.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
AR 18 / East Highland Drive
Turn left onto AR 18 / East Highland Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Joe N Martin Expressway | 8.5 mi | 9m |
| South Main Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| AR 463 | 1 mi | 1m |
| Harrisburg Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Elder Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Highland Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cate Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Joe N Martin Expressway
— 8.5 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bay, AR and Jonesboro, AR.
1
Start on AR 158
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
North Main Street
2
Turn left onto AR 158
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Elder Street
3
Turn right onto AR 463
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
AR 463
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
5
Merge onto I 555
8.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Joe N Martin Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 44
Toward Harrisburg rd
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
119 ft
·
2 sec
Use the right lane.
8
Turn right onto AR 1B
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Harrisburg Road
Use the right lane.
9
Turn left onto AR 18
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
East Highland Drive
Use the left lane.
10
Turn slight right
502 ft
·
22 sec
11
Turn straight onto South Main Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
12
Turn right onto Cate Avenue
207 ft
·
14 sec
·
Cate Avenue
13
Turn left
75 ft
·
5 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.75 one way
$3.50 round trip
$3.45/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.85 | $1.96 | $3.91 |
| premium | $4.15 | $2.11 | $4.22 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $1.90 | $3.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.35 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Jonesboro, AR
Late night in Jonesboro on Saturday
Local time
4:59 AM
CDT
Current temp
76°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
18m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Bay, AR to Jonesboro, AR covers 12.9 miles and takes about 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Joe N Martin Expressway, South Main Street, AR 463. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.5 miles from Bay, AR. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.75 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 12.9 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (AR 158 / Elder Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (I 555 / Joe N Martin Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Bay, AR to Jonesboro, AR does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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