Origin
Mena, AR
Afternoon in Mena on Sunday
Local time
3:41 PM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mena, AR to Jonesboro, AR
Drive Time
5h 8m
Distance
260.5 mi
419 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$40
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 55m
★
6 AM
5h 9m
8 AM
5h 36m
10 AM
5h 18m
12 PM
5h 15m
3 PM
5h 20m
5 PM
5h 34m
8 PM
5h 1m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mena, AR
Aziz Abdulrahman
Trip Overview
The drive from Mena, AR to Jonesboro, AR covers 260.5 miles and takes about 5h 8m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 57, US 270, US 70 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 102.7 miles on I 57. At current regular gas prices, budget about $39.82 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
130.3 miles from Mena, AR
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 47m into the drive .
Drive Character
This is a 5h 8m highway drive covering 260.5 miles, with most of the trip on I 57 and US 270. The longest continuous stretch is about 102.7 miles on I 57.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 57 is the longest continuous segment at about 102.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 57 and US 270. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Church Avenue.
Route Complexity
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 260.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Church Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (AR 88 / Mena Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.2 miles (AR 88 / Highway 88): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Church Avenue
Turn left onto Church Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
AR 88 / Mena Street
Turn right onto AR 88 / Mena Street
Navigation decision point
4
8.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
AR 88 / Highway 88
Keep slight left at fork onto AR 88 / Highway 88
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
7
134.7 mi into trip
|
~2h 53m in
|
US 67; US 167
Keep slight right at fork onto US 67; US 167 toward I 40 East, US 67 North, US 167 North: Jacksonville, Memphis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 143B
Toward I 40 East, US 67 North, US 167 North: Ja...
7
136.2 mi into trip
|
~2h 55m in
|
I 57; US 167
Keep slight left at fork onto I 57; US 167 toward Saint Louis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward Saint Louis
Towns Along This Route
Between Mena, AR and Jonesboro, AR, road signs point toward Memphis and Saint Louis.
Memphis
134.7 mi in
|
~2h 53m
|
via US 67; US 167
Saint Louis
136.2 mi in
|
~2h 55m
|
via I 57; US 167
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 57 | 102.7 mi | 1h 46m |
| US 270 | 52.7 mi | 59m |
| US 70 | 27.4 mi | 31m |
| Highway 88 | 23.3 mi | 40m |
| East Grand Avenue | 18.2 mi | 22m |
| US 78 | 12.1 mi | 13m |
| Southwest Drive | 7.4 mi | 9m |
| AR 88 | 6.1 mi | 10m |
Longest stretch:
I 57
— 102.7 mi, about 1h 46m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mena, AR and Jonesboro, AR.
1
Start on DeQueen Street
80 ft
·
8 sec
·
DeQueen Street
2
Turn left onto Church Avenue
375 ft
·
18 sec
·
Church Avenue
3
Turn right onto AR 88
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
Mena Street
4
Turn left onto US 59; US 71; AR 8
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Pickering
5
Turn right onto AR 88
6.1 mi
·
10 min
·
AR 88
6
Keep slight left at fork onto AR 88
23 mi
·
40 min
·
Highway 88
7
At end of road, turn right onto US 270
41 mi
·
47 min
·
US 270
8
Take the exit onto US 270
11 mi
·
12 min
·
US 270
9
Take the exit onto US 70
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
US 70
10
Merge onto US 70
18 mi
·
22 min
·
East Grand Avenue
11
Keep slight left at fork onto US 70
27 mi
·
30 min
·
US 70
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 30; US 67
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
·
I 30; US 67
13
Continue on I 30; US 65; US 67; US 167
4.2 mi
·
5 min
·
I 30; US 65; US 67; US 167
14
Keep slight right at fork onto US 67; US 167
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
US 67; US 167
Exit 143B
Toward I 40 East, US 67 North, US 167 North: Jacksonville, Memphis
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 57; US 167
28 mi
·
29 min
·
I 57; US 167
Toward Saint Louis
Use the slight left lane.
16
Continue on I 57; US 64; US 167
74 mi
·
1 hr 16 min
·
I 57; US 64; US 167
17
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward AR 226: Jonesboro
18
Keep slight right at fork
346 ft
·
8 sec
19
Merge onto US 78; AR 226
12 mi
·
13 min
·
US 78; AR 226
20
Continue on US 49; US 63; US 78
7.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Southwest Drive
21
Continue on South Main Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
22
Turn right onto Cate Avenue
207 ft
·
14 sec
·
Cate Avenue
23
Turn left
75 ft
·
5 sec
24
Arrive at 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 130.3 miles from Mena, AR, or about 2h 47m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 102.7 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 80 miles or 1h 48m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 130.3 miles or 2h 47m 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 15m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Jonesboro, AR than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Mena, 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 Mena, AR
This is one driving day of about 260.5 miles and 5h 8m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Mena, 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.
The longest stretch is on I 57 for about 102.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 130.3 mi from Mena, AR · 2h 47m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
130 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 130.3 miles from Mena, AR, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 57 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 102.7 miles.
Arriving in Jonesboro, AR
The final approach into Jonesboro, 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 Jonesboro, AR.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$39.82 one way
$79.65 round trip
$3.88/gal
25.4 MPG avg
91 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.26 | $43.68 | $87.36 |
| premium | $4.61 | $47.28 | $94.56 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $57.87 | $115.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$40
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$65–$90
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 91.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $27 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 78.1 | 0 | $27.35 | $12.50 |
| Efficient EV | 65.1 | 0 | $22.79 | $10.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 104.2 | 1 | $36.47 | $16.67 |
Gas CO2
91 kg
EV CO2
30 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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
Jonesboro, AR
Afternoon in Jonesboro on Sunday
Local time
3:41 PM
CDT
Current temp
61°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
5 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 8m 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 Mena, AR to Jonesboro, AR covers 260.5 miles and takes about 5h 8m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 57, US 270, US 70. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 130.3 miles from Mena, AR. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $39.82 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 demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 260.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Church Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (AR 88 / Mena Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.2 miles (AR 88 / Highway 88): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Between Mena, AR and Jonesboro, AR, road signs point toward Memphis and Saint Louis.
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