Origin
Ruston, LA
Morning in Ruston on Friday
Local time
11:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ruston, LA to Ouachita Parish, LA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
31.5 mi
51 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 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ruston, LA
Wikimedia Commons
Ouachita Parish, LA
Vika Glitter
Trip Overview
The drive from Ruston, LA to Ouachita Parish, LA covers 31.5 miles and takes about 37m 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, South Vienna Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.7 miles on I 20. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.76 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 37m. Total distance: 31.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 37m highway drive covering 31.5 miles, with most of the trip on I 20 and Thomas Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 27.7 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 10 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 27.7 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 early in the drive near US 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna Street.
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 37m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (I 20): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna Street
Turn right onto US 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna Street
Navigation decision point
3
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
3
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 20
Merge onto I 20
Merge point - match speed before joining
4
29.1 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward LA 617
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward LA 617
6
29.4 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight right at fork toward LA 617 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward LA 617 South
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 20 | 27.7 mi | 30m |
| Thomas Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| South Vienna Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Jonesboro Road | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| South Service Road West | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East California Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 20
— 27.7 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ruston, LA and Ouachita Parish, LA.
1
Start on LA 146
167 ft
·
8 sec
·
East California Avenue
2
Turn right onto US 80; US 167; LA 146
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
South Vienna Street
3
Turn right onto South Service Road West
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
South Service Road West
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
5
Merge onto I 20
28 mi
·
30 min
·
I 20
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward LA 617
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward LA 617 South
8
Turn straight onto LA 617
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Thomas Road
9
Continue on LA 34
0.6 mi
·
56 sec
·
Jonesboro Road
10
Arrive at destination
LA 34
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.76 one way
$9.51 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $5.22 | $10.44 |
| premium | $4.56 | $5.65 | $11.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.95 | $13.91 |
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 | 9.5 | 0 | $3.31 | $1.51 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.41 | $2.02 |
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
Ouachita Parish, LA
Morning in Ouachita Parish on Friday
Local time
11:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
86°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
9 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
37m 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 Ruston, LA to Ouachita Parish, LA covers 31.5 miles and takes about 37m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 20, Thomas Road, South Vienna Street. 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 Ruston, LA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.76 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 37m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 80; US 167; LA 146 / South Vienna Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (I 20): Merge point - match speed before joining.
The route from Ruston, LA to Ouachita Parish, 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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