Origin
Lafayette, LA
Morning in Lafayette on Saturday
Local time
8:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lafayette, LA to Opelousas, LA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
23.9 mi
39 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Opelousas, LA
Abhishek Navlakha
Trip Overview
The drive from Lafayette, LA to Opelousas, LA covers 23.9 miles and takes about 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Charles I. "Doc" Hudson Highway, Veterans Memorial Expressway, Northeast Evangeline Thruway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.2 miles on Charles I. "Doc" Hudson Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.61 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 23.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (41%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
The drive from Lafayette, LA to Opelousas, LA covers 23.9 miles and takes about 29m, 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 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Charles I. "Doc" Hudson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 11.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Rue Jefferson.
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 29m drive. You will face about 7 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 (Rue Jefferson): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 90; LA 182 / Northeast Evangeline Thruway): Navigation decision point; at 22.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Rue Jefferson
Turn left onto Rue Jefferson
Navigation decision point
4
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 90; LA 182 / Northeast Evangeline Thruway
Turn left onto US 90; LA 182 / Northeast Evangeline Thruway
Navigation decision point
4
22.5 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward US 190 West: Opelousas
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 190 West: Opelousas
4
23.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
East Bellevue Street
Turn left onto East Bellevue Street
Navigation decision point
5
23.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
LA 182 / South Main Street
Turn left onto LA 182 / South Main Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Charles I. "Doc" Hudson Highway | 11.2 mi | 11m |
| Veterans Memorial Expressway | 8.8 mi | 9m |
| Northeast Evangeline Thruway | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| US 190 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Rue Jefferson | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Jefferson Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Union Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Rue Vermilion Ouest | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Charles I. "Doc" Hudson Highway
— 11.2 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lafayette, LA and Opelousas, LA.
1
Start on Rue Vermilion Ouest
335 ft
·
22 sec
·
Rue Vermilion Ouest
2
Turn left onto Rue Jefferson
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Rue Jefferson
3
Continue on Jefferson Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Jefferson Boulevard
4
Turn left onto US 90; LA 182
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Northeast Evangeline Thruway
5
Continue on I 49; LA 182
8.8 mi
·
9 min
·
Veterans Memorial Expressway
6
Continue on I 49; US 167
11 mi
·
11 min
·
Charles I. "Doc" Hudson Highway
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward US 190 West: Opelousas
8
Merge onto US 190
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
US 190
9
Turn right onto LA 182
387 ft
·
11 sec
·
South Union Street
10
Turn left onto East Bellevue Street
234 ft
·
15 sec
·
East Bellevue Street
11
Turn left onto LA 182
157 ft
·
2 sec
·
South Main Street
12
Arrive at destination
LA 182
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.61 one way
$7.22 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $3.96 | $7.92 |
| premium | $4.56 | $4.29 | $8.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.13
Northeast Evangeline Thruway
(1.9 mi)
$0.13
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.51 | $1.15 |
| Efficient EV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Opelousas, LA
Morning in Opelousas on Saturday
Local time
8:43 AM
CDT
Current temp
80°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
19 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
29m 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 Lafayette, LA to Opelousas, LA covers 23.9 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Charles I. "Doc" Hudson Highway, Veterans Memorial Expressway, Northeast Evangeline Thruway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 12 miles from Lafayette, LA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.61 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 straightforward 29m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Rue Jefferson): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 90; LA 182 / Northeast Evangeline Thruway): Navigation decision point; at 22.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from Lafayette, LA to Opelousas, LA 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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