How far is Covington, KY from New Orleans, LA?

The driving distance from Covington, KY to New Orleans, LA is about 800.8 miles (1288.7 km), with a travel time of about 14h 39m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 705.5 miles (1135.4 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 29h 18m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
800.78 mi
14h 39m
Flight
705.5 mi
1135.39 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Covington.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
705.5 mi
Kilometers
1135.39 km
Flight Time
01h 25m

Driving Distance

Road route
800.78 mi
Kilometers
1288.73 km
Drive Time
14h 39m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 14h 39m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in New Orleans
Wed, Aug 26, 12:51 PM CDT
Return by in Covington
Thu, Aug 27, 4:30 AM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Covington
2026-08-25T23:12
Arrive New Orleans
Wed, Aug 26, 1:51 PM EDT
Route Timing
14h 39m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
7:39 PM to 9:09 PM CDT

Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

Leave by
6:42 AM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Covington
8:00 PM EDT
Overnight-style route

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Falkville
AL

Town of the United States

From Covington
400.8 mi
07h 19m
To New Orleans
400 mi
07h 19m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
82°F
Today

Sunny

Starts
Tue, Aug 25 7:00 AM EDT
Wind
2 mph NE
Destination
91°F
This Afternoon

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Starts
Tue, Aug 25 5:00 PM CDT
Wind
5 mph NW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Covington and New Orleans.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Covington and New Orleans.

  1. 1

    Start on East 7th Street

    4 m · 5 sec · East 7th Street

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Scott Boulevard

    2125 ft · 1 min · Scott Boulevard

  3. 3

    Turn right onto East Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard

    1.1 km · 2 min · East Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard

  4. 4

    Continue on West 12th Street

    62 m · 13 sec · West 12th Street

  5. 5

    Take the ramp left toward I 71 South, I 75 South

    1766 ft · 43 sec

  6. 6

    Merge slight left

    17.3 mi · 20 min

  7. 7

    Take the exit slight right toward I 71 South: Louisville

    71.5 mi · 1 hr 18 min

  8. 8

    Take the exit slight left toward I 264 West: Watterson Expressway

    2346 ft · 45 sec

  9. 9

    Continue on Henry Watterson Expressway

    10 mi · 14 min · Henry Watterson Expressway

  10. 10

    Take the exit slight right toward I 65, KY 61: Nashville, Indianapolis

    936 ft · 15 sec

  11. 11

    Keep slight left to continue on I 65: Nashville, Downtown Louisville, Indianapolis

    963 ft · 15 sec

  12. 12

    Keep slight left to continue on I 65 South: Nashville

    1 mi · 2 min

  13. 13

    Merge slight left

    165.5 mi · 2 hr 59 min

  14. 14

    Continue on I 24 East: Chattanooga, Knoxville

    2.8 mi · 4 min

  15. 15

    Keep slight right to continue on Downtown Loop

    1 mi · 2 min · Downtown Loop

  16. 16

    Take the exit slight left toward I 65 South: Huntsville

    1973 ft · 46 sec

  17. 17

    Continue straight

    182.6 mi · 3 hr 16 min

  18. 18

    Take the exit slight right toward I 22 West, US 31: Memphis, Fultondale

    2715 ft · 38 sec

  19. 19

    Keep slight left to continue on I 22 West: Memphis

    2666 ft · 38 sec

  20. 20

    Keep slight left to continue on Montgomery

    1940 ft · 28 sec

  21. 21

    Merge slight left

    3.7 mi · 5 min

  22. 22

    Take the exit slight right toward I 20 West, I 59 South: Tuscaloosa

    2224 ft · 54 sec

  23. 23

    Merge slight left

    146 mi · 2 hr 38 min

  24. 24

    Continue straight

    1.8 mi · 2 min

  25. 25

    Keep slight left to continue on I 59 South: Laurel, New Orleans

    159.4 mi · 2 hr 52 min

  26. 26

    Keep slight left

    1672 ft · 20 sec

  27. 27

    Keep slight left

    1.1 km · 43 sec

  28. 28

    Continue straight

    32 mi · 37 min

  29. 29

    Take the exit slight right toward Canal Street, Superdome

    745 ft · 18 sec

  30. 30

    Keep slight right to continue on Cleveland Avenue

    105 m · 13 sec · Cleveland Avenue

  31. 31

    Turn right onto South Claiborne Avenue

    588 ft · 12 sec · South Claiborne Avenue

  32. 32

    Turn left onto Tulane Avenue

    1805 ft · 52 sec · Tulane Avenue

  33. 33

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Tulane Avenue

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Covington and New Orleans.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Long-distance drive

This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.

Directions
33 steps
4 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
12
4 merges, 8 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
4.1 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
I 65 South
349 mi · 44%
I 59 South
192 mi · 24%
I 20 West
148 mi · 19%
I 71 South
89.2 mi · 11%
Henry Watterson Expressway
9.99 mi · 1%
Montgomery
4.12 mi · 1%
Longest Stretch

I 65 South

Continue straight

183 mi · 03h 16m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

Better with a longer stop

This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.

Drive Time
14h 39m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
29h 18m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+95.3 mi
705.5 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Falkville
07h 19m from Covington
Leave By
6:42 AM EDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Covington and Showers And Thunderstorms Likely near New Orleans.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Covington to New Orleans?

The road trip is about 800.8 miles (1288.7 km) and usually takes 14h 39m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Falkville is a useful midpoint, sitting about 400.8 miles from Covington and 400 miles from New Orleans.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 705.5 miles (1135.4 km), while the road route adds roughly 95.3 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM EDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $106.57 one way or $213.14 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 251.1 kg one way.

Do you cross a time zone on this route?

Yes. There is about a 1 hour time difference between Covington and New Orleans, so arrival and return times should be read in local time.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Covington and Showers And Thunderstorms Likely near New Orleans.

Stop Ideas Near Falkville

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Falkville, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Falkville.

RAIL

Birmingham

96 mi away
1819 Morris Ave.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Covington and New Orleans. Straight-line distance: 705.5 mi (1135.39 km).

Covington

#1 Covington

The county seat of Kenton County, Kentucky.

Population40,314
Coordinates39.0836700, -84.5085500
Altitude155
CountryUnited States
New Orleans

#2 New Orleans

The most populous city in Louisiana and the center of the New Orleans metropolitan area.

Population389,476
Coordinates29.9546500, -90.0750700
Altitude0
CountryUnited States
Start: Covington (-84.50855, 39.08367)
End: New Orleans (-90.07507, 29.95465)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 1289 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)26h 40m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)20h 01m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)16h 00m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)13h 20m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)11h 26m
80 mph (129 km/h)09h 59m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
28.26 gal
106.96 L · about $106.57
Round trip
$213.14
56.52 gal · 213.92 L
Estimated CO2
251.1 kg one way
Round trip: 502.3 kg / 1107 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.77 $106.57 $213.14
Mid-grade $4.25 $120.19 $240.38
Premium $4.65 $131.52 $263.04
Diesel $5.30 $149.89 $299.78

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Kentucky · Aug 26, 2026

Please keep in mind that there is a 1 hour time gap between Covington, KY and New Orleans, LA. The current time in Covington is 23:12:21, although it is 22:12:21 in New Orleans.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.