Origin
Burlington, KY
Morning in Burlington on Saturday
Local time
8:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Burlington, KY to Covington, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
14.8 mi
24 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Burlington, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Covington, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Burlington, KY to Covington, KY covers 14.8 miles and takes about 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 71, Burlington Pike, West Pike Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.4 miles on I 71. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.31 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 14.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Burlington, KY to Covington, KY covers 14.8 miles and takes about 23m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 71 is the longest continuous segment at about 8.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near KY 18 / Washington Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 14.8 miles you will encounter 6 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: near the start (KY 18 / Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.1 miles (I 71; I 75): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
KY 18 / Washington Street
Turn right onto KY 18 / Washington Street
Navigation decision point
7
4.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 71 North, I 75 North: Cincinnati
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 71 North, I 75 North: Cincinnati
5
5.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 71; I 75
Merge onto I 71; I 75
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
13.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward 12th Street, Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Pike Street, Covington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 191
Toward 12th Street, Martin Luther King Junior B...
6
14 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 25; US 42; US 127 / West Pike Street
Turn right onto US 25; US 42; US 127 / West Pike Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 71 | 8.4 mi | 11m |
| Burlington Pike | 4.5 mi | 7m |
| West Pike Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West 7th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Washington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Simon Kenton Way | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Jefferson Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East 7th Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
I 71
— 8.4 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Burlington, KY and Covington, KY.
1
Start on KY 338
68 ft
·
5 sec
·
Jefferson Street
2
Turn right onto KY 18
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Washington Street
3
Continue on KY 18
4.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Burlington Pike
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 71 North, I 75 North: Cincinnati
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 71; I 75
8.4 mi
·
11 min
·
I 71; I 75
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 191
Toward 12th Street, Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Pike Street, Covington
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on Simon Kenton Way
503 ft
·
18 sec
·
Simon Kenton Way
Toward I 71 North, I 75 North: Cincinnati
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Turn right onto US 25; US 42; US 127
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Pike Street
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on West 7th Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
West 7th Street
10
Arrive at destination
East 7th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.31 one way
$4.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.54 | $5.08 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.85 | $5.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.27 | $6.54 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.55 | $0.71 |
| Efficient EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.59 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
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
Covington, KY
Morning in Covington on Saturday
Local time
8:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°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
14 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
23m 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 Burlington, KY to Covington, KY covers 14.8 miles and takes about 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 71, Burlington Pike, West Pike Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7.4 miles from Burlington, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.31 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 14.8 miles you will encounter 6 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: near the start (KY 18 / Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.1 miles (I 71; I 75): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Burlington, KY to Covington, KY 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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