Origin
Southgate, KY
Night in Southgate on Friday
Local time
11:33 PM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Southgate, KY to Independence, KY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
14 mi
23 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Southgate, KY
Tom Fisk
Independence, KY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Southgate, KY to Independence, KY covers 14 miles and takes about 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Madison Pike, Ronald Reagan Highway, KY 17 Business for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.2 miles on Madison Pike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.19 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 14 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 21m drive with frequent turns across 14 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Madison Pike is the longest continuous segment at about 5.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Temple Place.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 14 miles you will encounter 9 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 (Temple Place): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (I 275 / Ronald Reagan Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Temple Place
Turn left onto Temple Place
Navigation decision point
7
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 275 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1B
Toward I 275 West
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 275 / Ronald Reagan Highway
Merge onto I 275 / Ronald Reagan Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward KY 17: Independence, Covington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 80
Toward KY 17: Independence, Covington
6
7.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
KY 17 / Madison Pike
Turn right onto KY 17 / Madison Pike toward Independence
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward Independence
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Southgate, KY to Independence, KY, road signs begin pointing toward Covington along the way.
Covington
7 mi in
|
~9m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Madison Pike | 5.2 mi | 8m |
| Ronald Reagan Highway | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| KY 17 Business | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| I 471 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Alexandria Pike | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Pelly Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Evergreen Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Temple Place | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Madison Pike
— 5.2 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Southgate, KY and Independence, KY.
1
Start on Evergreen Drive
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Evergreen Drive
2
Turn left onto Temple Place
373 ft
·
18 sec
·
Temple Place
3
Turn right onto US 27; KY 8
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
Alexandria Pike
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I 471 South
5
Merge onto I 471
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
I 471
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1B
Toward I 275 West
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 275
4.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Ronald Reagan Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 80
Toward KY 17: Independence, Covington
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto KY 17
5.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Madison Pike
Toward Independence
Use the left / right lanes.
10
Turn right onto KY 17 Business
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Pelly Road
Use the right lane.
11
Continue on KY 17 Business
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
KY 17 Business
12
Arrive at destination
KY 17 Business; KY 2045
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.19 one way
$4.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.40 | $4.81 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.69 | $5.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.09 | $6.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.96 | $0.90 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Independence, KY
Night in Independence on Friday
Local time
11:33 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°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
24 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
21m 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 Southgate, KY to Independence, KY covers 14 miles and takes about 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Madison Pike, Ronald Reagan Highway, KY 17 Business. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7 miles from Southgate, KY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.19 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 14 miles you will encounter 9 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 (Temple Place): Navigation decision point; at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (I 275 / Ronald Reagan Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Southgate, KY to Independence, KY, road signs begin pointing toward Covington along the way.
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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