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Trip from Shannon, MS to Meridian, MS

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 39m

Distance

131.7 mi

212 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$20

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 31 min
4 AM
2h 29m ★
6 AM
2h 39m
8 AM
3h 0m
10 AM
2h 47m
12 PM
2h 45m
3 PM
2h 48m
5 PM
2h 59m
8 PM
2h 33m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Shannon, MS, MS

Shannon, MS

大 董

Downtown Meridian, MS, MS

Meridian, MS

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Shannon, MS to Meridian, MS covers 131.7 miles and takes about 2h 39m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on US Highway 45 Aiternate, US Highway 45 Alternate, US 45 ALT for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 60.6 miles on US Highway 45 Aiternate. At current regular gas prices, budget about $19.89 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.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

65.9 miles from Shannon, MS

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 20m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 39m. Total distance: 131.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 39m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (97%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 2h 39m highway drive covering 131.7 miles, with most of the trip on US Highway 45 Aiternate and US Highway 45 Alternate. The longest continuous stretch is about 60.6 miles on US Highway 45 Aiternate.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US Highway 45 Aiternate is the longest continuous segment at about 60.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US Highway 45 Aiternate and US Highway 45 Alternate. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Broad 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 2h 39m drive. You will face about 9 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 (Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (MS 145 / Noah Curtis Street): Navigation decision point; at 124.7 miles (Old Highway 45 North): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Broad Street

Turn right onto Broad Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | MS 145 / Noah Curtis Street

Turn right onto MS 145 / Noah Curtis Street

Navigation decision point

4
124.7 mi into trip | ~2h 28m in | Old Highway 45 North

Keep slight left at fork onto Old Highway 45 North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

4
131.3 mi into trip | ~2h 38m in | 22nd Avenue

Turn right onto 22nd Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
131.7 mi into trip | ~2h 39m in | 25th Avenue

Turn left onto 25th Avenue

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US Highway 45 Aiternate 60.6 mi 1h 9m
US Highway 45 Alternate 54.7 mi 1h 6m
US 45 ALT 7.2 mi 8m
Old Highway 45 North 4.8 mi 7m
Martin Luther King Drive 1.2 mi 1m
Front Street 0.7 mi 1m
Dale Drive 0.6 mi <1m
2nd Street 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US Highway 45 Aiternate — 60.6 mi, about 1h 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Shannon, MS and Meridian, MS.

1

Start on Boyd Avenue

73 ft · 5 sec · Boyd Avenue
2

Turn right onto Broad Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Broad Street
3

Turn left onto North Collins

124 ft · 7 sec · North Collins
4

Turn right onto MS 145

433 ft · 6 sec · Noah Curtis Street
5

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward US 45 Alternate South: West Point
6

Merge onto US 45 ALT

1.2 mi · 1 min · Martin Luther King Drive
7

Continue on US 45 ALT

1.4 mi · 1 min · US 45 ALT
8

Continue on US 45 ALT

2.2 mi · 2 min · US 45 ALT
9

Continue on US 45 ALT

1.5 mi · 1 min · US 45 ALT
10

Continue on US 45 ALT

0.7 mi · 49 sec · US 45 ALT
11

Continue on US 45 ALT

1.4 mi · 1 min · US 45 ALT
12

Continue on US 45 ALT

55 mi · 1 hr 6 min · US Highway 45 Alternate
Use the straight lane.
13

Continue on US 45

61 mi · 1 hr 9 min · US Highway 45 Aiternate
14

Keep slight left at fork onto Old Highway 45 North

4.8 mi · 7 min · Old Highway 45 North
15

Continue on MS 884

0.6 mi · 54 sec · Dale Drive
16

Continue on Front Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · Front Street
17

Continue on 4th Street

0.1 mi · 9 sec · 4th Street
18

Turn slight left onto 2nd Street

0.5 mi · 49 sec · 2nd Street
19

Turn right onto 22nd Avenue

0.2 mi · 29 sec · 22nd Avenue
20

Turn left onto 8th Street

0.2 mi · 25 sec · 8th Street
21

Turn left onto 25th Avenue

272 ft · 11 sec · 25th Avenue
22

Arrive at destination

25th Avenue

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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 65.9 miles from Shannon, MS, or about 1h 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 60.6 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 29 miles or 36m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 65.9 miles or 1h 20m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 9m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Meridian, MS than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Shannon, MS 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 Shannon, MS

This is one driving day of about 131.7 miles and 2h 39m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 miles from Shannon, MS.
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 US Highway 45 Aiternate for about 60.6 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 65.9 mi from Shannon, MS · 1h 20m into the drive

Downtown Macon, MS, MS

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Macon, MS

66 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.

Popular next leg

Macon, MS to Meridian, MS

59.5 mi · 1h 11m

Pacing Suggestions

West Point, MS

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 29 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Macon, MS

Meal break

The midpoint is around 65.9 miles from Shannon, MS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before US Highway 45 Aiternate if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 60.6 miles.

Arriving in Meridian, MS

The final approach into Meridian, MS 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 Meridian, MS.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Tupelo National Battlefield

Tupelo National Battlefield

National Battlefield

In July, 1864, federal forces, including men from the United States Colored Troops, marched into Tupelo, Mississippi. Disorganized Confederate soldiers fought fiercely but could not overpower the fede...

10 mi from route ~24 min detour Free
View on nps.gov
Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

National Scenic Trail

The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail is five sections of hiking trail running roughly parallel to the 444-mile long Natchez Trace Parkway scenic motor road. The foot trails total more than 60 miles...

15 mi from route ~37 min detour Free
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$19.89 one way

$39.78 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 46 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $21.83 $43.67
premium $4.56 $23.64 $47.28
diesel $5.61 $29.08 $58.16

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$20

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$45–$70

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 46.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 39.5 0 $13.83 $6.32
Efficient EV 32.9 0 $11.52 $5.27
EV Truck/SUV 52.7 0 $18.44 $8.43

Gas CO2

46 kg

EV CO2

15 kg (67% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Shannon, MS

Afternoon in Shannon on Friday

Local time

4:59 PM

CDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Meridian, MS

Afternoon in Meridian on Friday

Local time

4:59 PM

CDT

Current temp

88°F

Sunny

SSW 0 to 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

52°F

Macon, MS

66 mi in

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

36 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 39m 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 Shannon, MS to Meridian, MS covers 131.7 miles and takes about 2h 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are US Highway 45 Aiternate, US Highway 45 Alternate, US 45 ALT. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 65.9 miles from Shannon, MS. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $19.89 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.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

This is a straightforward 2h 39m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (MS 145 / Noah Curtis Street): Navigation decision point; at 124.7 miles (Old Highway 45 North): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

The route from Shannon, MS to Meridian, MS does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Yes. Nearby national parks include Tupelo National Battlefield and Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.

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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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