Origin
Independence, KY
Afternoon in Independence on Friday
Local time
3:17 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Independence, KY to Southgate, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
14.1 mi
23 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 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Independence, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Southgate, KY
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
The drive from Independence, KY to Southgate, KY covers 14.1 miles and takes about 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on KY 17, Ronald Reagan Highway, Madison Pike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5 miles on KY 17. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.20 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 14.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Independence, KY to Southgate, KY covers 14.1 miles and takes about 21m, 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 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
KY 17 is the longest continuous segment at about 5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 14.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (I 275 / Ronald Reagan Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
6.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Turn left toward I 275 East: Newport
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 275 East: Newport
5
6.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 275 / Ronald Reagan Highway
Merge onto I 275 / Ronald Reagan Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
11.5 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward I 471 North: Newport, Cincinnati
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 74B
Toward I 471 North: Newport, Cincinnati
8
13.1 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward US 27: Southgate, Fort Thomas
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 2
Toward US 27: Southgate, Fort Thomas
9
13.3 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 27, KY 8: Southgate
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward US 27, KY 8: Southgate
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Independence, KY and Southgate, KY, road signs point toward Cincinnati and Fort Thomas.
Cincinnati
11.5 mi in
|
~16m
Fort Thomas
13.1 mi in
|
~18m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| KY 17 | 5 mi | 7m |
| Ronald Reagan Highway | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| Madison Pike | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| I 471 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Alexandria Pike | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| KY 17 Business | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Evergreen Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Temple Place | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
KY 17
— 5 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Independence, KY and Southgate, KY.
1
Start on KY 17 Business; KY 2045
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Madison Pike
2
Continue on KY 17 Business
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
KY 17 Business
3
Turn left onto KY 17
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
KY 17
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 275 East: Newport
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 275
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 74B
Toward I 471 North: Newport, Cincinnati
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Merge onto I 471
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
I 471
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 2
Toward US 27: Southgate, Fort Thomas
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
125 ft
·
5 sec
Toward US 27, KY 8: Southgate
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left onto US 27; KY 8
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Alexandria Pike
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto Temple Place
373 ft
·
20 sec
·
Temple Place
12
Turn right onto Evergreen Drive
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Evergreen Drive
13
Arrive at destination
Evergreen Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.20 one way
$4.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.42 | $4.84 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.71 | $5.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.11 | $6.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.48 | $0.68 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.23 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
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
Southgate, KY
Afternoon in Southgate on Friday
Local time
3:17 PM
EDT
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
24 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
21m 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 Independence, KY to Southgate, KY covers 14.1 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are KY 17, Ronald Reagan Highway, Madison Pike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7 miles from Independence, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.20 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 is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 14.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
The main spots that need attention: at 6.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (I 275 / Ronald Reagan Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Independence, KY and Southgate, KY, road signs point toward Cincinnati and Fort Thomas.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Southgate, KY
More trips to Southgate, KY
Explore more options from Independence, KY or browse trips ending in Southgate, KY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse KY road trips.