Origin
Ouachita Parish, LA
Evening in Ouachita Parish on Thursday
Local time
5:14 PM
CDT
Current temp
90°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ouachita Parish, LA to Ruston, LA
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
38m
Distance
31.3 mi
50 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ouachita Parish, LA
Vika Glitter
Ruston, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Ouachita Parish, LA to Ruston, LA covers 31.3 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 20, Thomas Road, Farmerville Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 26.7 miles on I 20. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.73 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 31.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 38m highway drive covering 31.3 miles, with most of the trip on I 20 and Thomas Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 26.7 miles on I 20.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 20 is the longest continuous segment at about 26.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and Thomas Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 38m 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 2.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (I 20): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 29 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.
3
2.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
3
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 20
Merge onto I 20
Merge point - match speed before joining
3
29 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
5
29.2 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
30.9 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
LA 146 / East California Avenue
Turn right onto LA 146 / East California Avenue
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 20 | 26.7 mi | 28m |
| Thomas Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Farmerville Highway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Jonesboro Road | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| North Farmerville Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Georgia Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| East California Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 20
— 26.7 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ouachita Parish, LA and Ruston, LA.
1
Start on LA 34
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
Jonesboro Road
2
Continue on LA 617
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Thomas Road
3
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
4
Merge onto I 20
27 mi
·
28 min
·
I 20
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
6
Keep slight left at fork
193 ft
·
7 sec
7
Turn left onto LA 33
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Farmerville Highway
8
Continue on US 80
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
East Georgia Avenue
9
Turn left onto North Farmerville Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Farmerville Street
10
Turn right onto LA 146
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
East California Avenue
11
Arrive at destination
LA 146
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.73 one way
$9.45 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $5.19 | $10.38 |
| premium | $4.56 | $5.62 | $11.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.91 | $13.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.29 | $1.50 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.38 | $2.00 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Ruston, LA
Evening in Ruston on Thursday
Local time
5:14 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°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
13 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
38m 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 Ouachita Parish, LA to Ruston, LA covers 31.3 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 20, Thomas Road, Farmerville Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15.7 miles from Ouachita Parish, LA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.73 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 38m 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 2.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (I 20): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 29 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from Ouachita Parish, LA to Ruston, LA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Ruston, LA
More from Ouachita Parish, LA
More trips to Ruston, LA
Explore more options from Ouachita Parish, LA or browse trips ending in Ruston, LA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse LA road trips.
Explore maps for Ouachita Parish, LA or Ruston, LA on MapSof.net.