The drive from Little Rock, AR to Paris, AR covers 114 miles and takes about 2h 22m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 40, AR 22, South Arkansas Avenue for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 67.3 miles on I 40.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.22 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
57 miles from Little Rock, AR
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 2m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 22m. Total distance: 114 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 2h 22m highway drive covering 114 miles, with most of the trip on I 40 and AR 22. The longest continuous stretch is about 67.3 miles on I 40.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 40 is the longest continuous segment at about 67.3 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
630 ft277 ft
Total Climb
558 ft
Total Descent
490 ft
Highest Point
630 ft
~105.9 mi in
Elevation Range
353 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and AR 22. You will hit about 16 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near State Capitol.
Driving Effort5/10
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 114 miles you will encounter 16 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: at 0.1 miles (State Capitol): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 4.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 72.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|State Capitol
Turn sharp left onto State Capitol
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
4.6 mi into trip|~9m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
72.1 mi into trip|~1h 18m in
Take the exit toward AR 331, US 64
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 84
Toward AR 331, US 64
7
72.8 mi into trip|~1h 19m in|US 64 / East Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto US 64 / East Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
75.1 mi into trip|~1h 23m in|AR 7 / South Arkansas Avenue
Turn left onto AR 7 / South Arkansas Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 40
67.3 mi
1h 8m
AR 22
34 mi
53m
South Arkansas Avenue
4.9 mi
5m
East Main Street
2.3 mi
3m
Pike Avenue
1.5 mi
2m
West 7th Street
0.7 mi
1m
Mac Arthur Drive
0.7 mi
1m
Broadway Street
0.5 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 67.3 mi, about 1h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Little Rock, AR and Paris, AR.
1
Start on this road
385 ft·35 sec·this road
2
Turn sharp left onto State Capitol
361 ft·16 sec·State Capitol
3
Continue on State Capitol
528 ft·23 sec·State Capitol
4
Turn left onto Capitol Mall
116 ft·7 sec·Capitol Mall
5
Turn right onto State Capitol
387 ft·22 sec·State Capitol
6
Turn left onto West 7th Street
0.7 mi·1 min·West 7th Street
7
Turn left onto US 70
0.5 mi·53 sec·Broadway Street
8
Continue on US 70
0.5 mi·48 sec·Broadway Bridge
9
Turn left onto AR 365
0.4 mi·46 sec·West Broadway Street
10
Enter roundabout onto Pike Avenue
22 ft·0 sec·Pike Avenue
11
Continue on Pike Avenue
1.5 mi·2 min·Pike Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Continue on AR 365
0.7 mi·1 min·Mac Arthur Drive
Use the left lane.
13
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·30 sec
Use the left lane.
14
Merge onto I 40; US 65
67 mi·1 hr 8 min·I 40; US 65
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi·39 sec
Exit 84Toward AR 331, US 64
16
Turn left onto AR 331
0.4 mi·46 sec·AR 331
17
At end of road, turn right onto US 64
2.3 mi·3 min·East Main Street
Use the right lane.
18
Turn left onto AR 7
4.9 mi·5 min·South Arkansas Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto AR 22
34 mi·53 min·AR 22
20
Turn left onto AR 309
34 ft·1 sec·South Elm Street
21
Arrive at destination
AR 309
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 57 miles from Little Rock, AR, or about 1h 2m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 67.3 miles.
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 25 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 57 miles or 1h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 50m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Paris, AR than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Little Rock, 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 Little Rock, AR
This is one driving day of about 114 miles and 2h 22m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 miles from Little Rock, AR.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 40 for about 67.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 57 mi from Little Rock, AR
· 1h 2m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.22 one way
$34.43 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg40 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$18.90
$37.80
premium
$4.56
$20.46
$40.92
diesel
$5.61
$25.17
$50.34
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$17
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 39.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
2 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: good
Tesla Supercharger
Conway, Arkansas
Tesla
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Conway, Arkansas
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
Tesla: 1
ChargePoint: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
34.2
0
$11.97
$5.47
Efficient EV
28.5
0
$9.98
$4.56
EV Truck/SUV
45.6
0
$15.96
$7.30
Gas CO2
40 kg
EV CO2
13 kg (68% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 13, 2026
Origin
Little Rock, AR
Afternoon
in Little Rock on Friday
Local time
12:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSW 10 to 15 mph50% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Paris, AR
Afternoon
in Paris on Friday
Local time
12:53 PM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SSW 5 to 15 mph28% chanceLive 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
1 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
2h 22m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Little Rock, AR to Paris, AR covers 114 miles and takes about 2h 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 40, AR 22, South Arkansas Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 57 miles from Little Rock, AR. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $17.22 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 114 miles you will encounter 16 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: at 0.1 miles (State Capitol): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 4.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 72.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Little Rock, AR to Paris, AR does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 277 ft to 630 ft elevation with about 558 ft of total climbing.
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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
