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Trip from Fayetteville, AR to Bay, AR

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

5h 20m

Distance

297.1 mi

478 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$45

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
5h 7m ★
6 AM
5h 21m
8 AM
5h 47m
10 AM
5h 30m
12 PM
5h 27m
3 PM
5h 31m
5 PM
5h 46m
8 PM
5h 12m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Craighead County, Arkansas, United States

Bay, AR

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Fayetteville, AR to Bay, AR covers 297.1 miles and takes about 5h 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on South College Avenue, South Nelson Hackett Boulevard, South School Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $44.87 one way before food or hotel costs.

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

148.5 miles from Fayetteville, AR

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 40m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 20m. Total distance: 297.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

5h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 5h 20m drive with frequent turns across 297.1 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South College Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 5h 20m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fayetteville, AR to Bay, AR is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
South College Avenue
South Nelson Hackett Boulevard
South School Avenue
West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
South Razorback Road
South Cato Springs Road
I 40 East
US 64

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: South College Avenue — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Fayetteville, AR and Bay, AR.

1

Start on the route

322 ft · 29 sec · the route
2

Turn left onto South College Avenue

0.1 mi · 16 sec · South College Avenue
3

Continue on South Nelson Hackett Boulevard

0.4 mi · 53 sec · South Nelson Hackett Boulevard
4

Turn slight left onto South School Avenue

0.1 mi · 20 sec · South School Avenue
5

Turn right onto West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard

0.9 mi · 2 min · West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
6

Turn left onto South Razorback Road

1.4 mi · 2 min · South Razorback Road
7

Continue on South Cato Springs Road

0.4 mi · 40 sec · South Cato Springs Road
8

Take the ramp slight left

0.3 mi · 20 sec
9

Merge slight left

40 mi · 40 min
10

Keep slight left to continue on I 40 East: Alma, Little Rock

0.6 mi · 49 sec · I 40 East: Alma, Little Rock
11

Merge slight left

114 mi · 1 hr 53 min
12

Take the exit slight right toward US 64

0.2 mi · 30 sec · US 64
13

Keep slight left

213 ft · 8 sec
14

Turn left onto East Oak Street

1.8 mi · 3 min · East Oak Street
15

Continue on State Highway 64

5.4 mi · 6 min · State Highway 64
16

Continue on Vilonia Bypass

26 mi · 32 min · Vilonia Bypass
17

Take the exit slight left

75 mi · 1 hr 17 min
18

Take the exit slight right toward AR 226: Jonesboro

0.5 mi · 1 min · AR 226: Jonesboro
19

Keep slight right

344 ft · 8 sec
20

Merge slight left

12 mi · 13 min
21

Continue on Southwest Drive

6.1 mi · 7 min · Southwest Drive
22

Take the exit right

0.3 mi · 36 sec
23

Merge slight left onto Joe N Martin Expressway

9.6 mi · 10 min · Joe N Martin Expressway
24

Take the exit slight right toward AR 463: Bay

0.4 mi · 1 min · AR 463: Bay
25

Turn right

125 ft · 3 sec
26

Turn right

1.2 mi · 2 min
27

Turn left onto Elder Street

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Elder Street
28

At the end of the road, turn right onto North Main Street

0.2 mi · 18 sec · North Main Street
29

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 148.5 miles from Fayetteville, AR, or about 2h 40m into the drive.

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 65 miles or 1h 10m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 148.5 miles or 2h 40m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 4h 22m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bay, AR than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Fayetteville, AR 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 Fayetteville, AR

This is one driving day of about 297.1 miles and 5h 20m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 65 miles from Fayetteville, AR.
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.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 148.5 mi from Fayetteville, AR · 2h 40m into the drive

Downtown Conway, AR, AR

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Conway, AR

149 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

Kibler, AR

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 65 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Conway, AR

Meal break

The midpoint is around 148.5 miles from Fayetteville, AR, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Bay, AR

The final approach into Bay, AR usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Bay, AR.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$44.87 one way

$89.74 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 104 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $49.26 $98.51
premium $4.56 $53.33 $106.65
diesel $5.61 $65.60 $131.19

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$45

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$70–$95

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 103.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $31 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 89.1 1 $31.20 $14.26
Efficient EV 74.3 0 $26.00 $11.88
EV Truck/SUV 118.8 1 $41.59 $19.01

Gas CO2

104 kg

EV CO2

35 kg (66% 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 Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Fayetteville, AR

Morning in Fayetteville on Thursday

Local time

10:30 AM

CDT

Current temp

72°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bay, AR

Morning in Bay on Thursday

Local time

10:30 AM

CDT

Current temp

76°F

Unavailable

Live 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

4 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

5h 20m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Fayetteville, AR to Bay, AR covers 297.1 miles and takes about 5h 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South College Avenue, South Nelson Hackett Boulevard, South School Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 148.5 miles from Fayetteville, AR. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $44.87 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 5h 20m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Fayetteville, AR to Bay, AR is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Fayetteville, AR to Bay, AR does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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