Origin
Emerson, AR
Morning in Emerson on Saturday
Local time
11:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Emerson, AR to Johnston, AR
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
16.1 mi
26 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Emerson, AR
Dany Castrejon
Johnston, AR
Md Jawadur Rahman
Trip Overview
This short 16.1-mile drive from Emerson to Johnston, Arkansas, is easily accomplished in about 27 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll navigate primarily on North Elm Street and US 82 before transitioning to Columbia Road 525. With a modest fuel cost estimate of $2, this route offers a practical and budget-friendly excursion within the Southeast region of Arkansas. Since there are no designated stops, you have the flexibility to tailor the journey to your liking. Consider this a straightforward local drive that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 16.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (18%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this 16.1-mile journey, with only 18% of the route on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 12.2 miles on North Elm Street, offering a brief period of consistent travel before you begin making turns. As you transition from North Elm Street to US 82 and then onto Columbia Road 525, the character of the road will shift from a more consistent path to a more varied local route. This isn't a high-speed highway cruise, but rather a more engaged driving experience.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 6 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Elm Street is the longest continuous segment at about 12.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US 79 / North Elm Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Emerson, AR to Johnston, AR is easy. At 27m with 18% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 79 / North Elm Street): Navigation decision point; at 14.4 miles (Columbia Road 525): Navigation decision point; at 15.3 miles (Columbia Rd 36): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
3 of 3 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 79 / North Elm Street
Turn left onto US 79 / North Elm Street
Navigation decision point
4
14.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Columbia Road 525
Turn left onto Columbia Road 525
Navigation decision point
4
15.3 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
Columbia Rd 36
Turn right onto Columbia Rd 36
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Elm Street | 12.2 mi | 18m |
| US 82 | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Columbia Road 525 | 0.9 mi | 3m |
| Columbia Rd 36 | 0.8 mi | 3m |
| West Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Elm Street
— 12.2 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Emerson, AR and Johnston, AR.
1
Start on AR 98
279 ft
·
12 sec
·
West Main Street
2
Turn left onto US 79
12 mi
·
18 min
·
North Elm Street
3
Turn right onto US 82
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 82
4
Turn left onto Columbia Road 525
0.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Columbia Road 525
5
Turn right onto Columbia Rd 36
0.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Columbia Rd 36
6
Arrive at destination
Columbia Rd 36
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.43 one way
$4.86 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $2.67 | $5.34 |
| premium | $4.56 | $2.89 | $5.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.55 | $7.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.69 | $0.77 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.41 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Johnston, AR
Morning in Johnston on Saturday
Local time
11:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°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
29 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
27m 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 Emerson, AR to Johnston, AR covers 16.1 miles and takes about 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Elm Street, US 82, Columbia Road 525. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.1 miles from Emerson, AR. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.43 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.
The drive from Emerson, AR to Johnston, AR is easy. At 27m with 18% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 79 / North Elm Street): Navigation decision point; at 14.4 miles (Columbia Road 525): Navigation decision point; at 15.3 miles (Columbia Rd 36): Navigation decision point.
The route from Emerson, AR to Johnston, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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