Origin
Bowling Green, KY
Afternoon in Bowling Green on Saturday
Local time
2:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bowling Green, KY to Tompkinsville, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
62.8 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 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bowling Green, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Tompkinsville, KY
Kelly
Trip Overview
The drive from Bowling Green, KY to Tompkinsville, KY covers 62.8 miles and takes about 1h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Interstate Highway 65, Cumberland Parkway, KY 163 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17 miles on Interstate Highway 65. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.82 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Interstate Highway 65 | 17 mi | 18m |
| Cumberland Parkway | 13.3 mi | 14m |
| KY 163 | 12.5 mi | 14m |
| Burkesville Road | 10.7 mi | 12m |
| Summer Shade Road | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| Fairview Avenue | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Cemetery Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Chestnut Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Interstate Highway 65
— 17 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bowling Green, KY and Tompkinsville, KY.
1
Start on this road
321 ft
·
28 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Chestnut Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Chestnut Street
3
Turn right onto KY 234
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
East 7th Avenue
4
Continue on KY 234
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Fairview Avenue
5
Continue on KY 234
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Cemetery Road
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
7
Merge onto I 65
17 mi
·
18 min
·
Interstate Highway 65
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward Somerset, Glasgow
9
Merge onto Cumberland Parkway
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Cumberland Parkway
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 14
Toward KY 90: Glasgow, Burkesville
11
Merge onto KY 90
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Burkesville Road
12
Continue on KY 90
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Summer Shade Road
13
Turn right onto KY 163
13 mi
·
14 min
·
KY 163
14
Turn right onto KY 63
61 ft
·
1 sec
·
West 4th Street
15
Arrive at destination
KY 63
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 31.4 miles from Bowling Green, 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 0.1 and 62.8 — 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
|
Chestnut Street
Turn left onto Chestnut Street
Navigation decision point
4
3.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
5
20.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward Somerset, Glasgow
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Somerset, Glasgow
6
34.6 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward KY 90: Glasgow, Burkesville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 14
Toward KY 90: Glasgow, Burkesville
4
62.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
|
KY 63 / West 4th Street
Turn right onto KY 63 / West 4th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.82 one way
$19.64 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $10.78 | $21.56 |
| premium | $4.89 | $12.09 | $24.17 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.87 | $27.73 |
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 | 18.8 | 0 | $6.59 | $3.01 |
| Efficient EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.49 | $2.51 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.1 | 0 | $8.79 | $4.02 |
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
Tompkinsville, KY
Afternoon in Tompkinsville on Saturday
Local time
2:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
75°F
Glasgow, KY
31 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
22 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
1h 13m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
62.8 mi in 1h 13m, mostly highway — 17 mi of that is on Interstate Highway 65.
68% 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: 17 mi on Interstate Highway 65.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Interstate Highway 65 and Cumberland Parkway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Chestnut 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 13m 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: at 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 20.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Bowling Green, KY and Tompkinsville, KY, road signs point toward Somerset, Glasgow and Burkesville.
Somerset
20.8 mi in
|
~25m
Glasgow
20.8 mi in
|
~25m
Burkesville
34.6 mi in
|
~40m
About the Cities
Starting 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 13m. Total distance: 62.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17 miles on Interstate Highway 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: at 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 20.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Tompkinsville, KY before heading back.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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