How far is Jackson, MS from Covington, KY?

The driving distance from Jackson, MS to Covington, KY is about 681.4 miles (1096.6 km), with a travel time of about 12h 32m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 566.5 miles (911.7 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 25h 05m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM CDT.
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
681.38 mi
12h 32m
Flight
566.47 mi
911.65 km direct

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

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Jackson.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
566.47 mi
Kilometers
911.65 km
Flight Time
01h 08m

Driving Distance

Road route
681.38 mi
Kilometers
1096.58 km
Drive Time
12h 32m

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 12h 32m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Covington
Wed, Aug 26, 11:17 AM EDT
Return by in Jackson
Wed, Aug 26, 10:50 PM CDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Jackson
2026-08-25T21:44
Arrive Covington
Wed, Aug 26, 10:17 AM CDT
Route Timing
12h 32m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM CDT
Treat this as a longer travel day
Arrive between
7:33 PM to 9:03 PM EDT

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

Leave by
10:54 AM CDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 08h 00m at the destination.
Back in Jackson
8:00 PM CDT
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
Lobelville
TN

Human settlement in Perry County, Tennessee, United States of America

From Jackson
340.8 mi
06h 16m
To Covington
340.6 mi
06h 16m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
92°F
This Afternoon

Sunny

Starts
Tue, Aug 25 5:00 PM CDT
Wind
5 mph NW
Destination
82°F
Today

Sunny

Starts
Tue, Aug 25 7:00 AM EDT
Wind
2 mph NE

Driving Route Map

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

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Jackson and Covington.

  1. 1

    Start on East Pearl Street

    138 m · 15 sec · East Pearl Street

  2. 2

    Turn right onto South Lamar Street

    115 m · 10 sec · South Lamar Street

  3. 3

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward East Capitol Street

    2 m · 1 sec · East Capitol Street

  4. 4

    Exit the roundabout onto East Capitol Street

    554 ft · 11 sec · East Capitol Street

  5. 5

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward East Capitol Street

    16 m · 1 sec · East Capitol Street

  6. 6

    Exit the roundabout onto East Capitol Street

    1139 ft · 33 sec · East Capitol Street

  7. 7

    At the end of the road, turn left onto North State Street

    2.3 mi · 4 min · North State Street

  8. 8

    Turn slight right onto Old Canton Road

    813 ft · 17 sec · Old Canton Road

  9. 9

    Turn right onto Lakeland Drive

    1.3 km · 1 min · Lakeland Drive

  10. 10

    Turn left

    2056 ft · 52 sec

  11. 11

    Merge slight left

    197.4 mi · 3 hr 33 min

  12. 12

    Take the exit slight right toward I 240 East: Nashville

    3097 ft · 57 sec

  13. 13

    Merge slight left onto W B Fowler Senior Expressway

    1.6 mi · 2 min · W B Fowler Senior Expressway

  14. 14

    Continue on Avron B Fogelman Expressway

    11.5 mi · 16 min · Avron B Fogelman Expressway

  15. 15

    Take the exit slight right toward I 40 East: Nashville

    1548 ft · 38 sec

  16. 16

    Continue straight

    196.7 mi · 3 hr 33 min

  17. 17

    Keep slight left to continue on I 65 North: Louisville

    1986 ft · 30 sec

  18. 18

    Continue on Downtown Loop

    1.7 mi · 2 min · Downtown Loop

  19. 19

    Keep slight left to continue on I 24 West, I 65 North: Clarksville, Louisville

    8.9 mi · 11 min

  20. 20

    Continue straight

    1170 ft · 14 sec

  21. 21

    Keep slight left

    155.9 mi · 2 hr 48 min

  22. 22

    Take the exit slight right toward I 264: Watterson Expressway, Airport

    1.1 km · 59 sec

  23. 23

    Keep slight right to continue on I 264 East: Watterson Expressway

    1.3 km · 1 min

  24. 24

    Merge slight left onto Henry Watterson Expressway

    10 mi · 14 min · Henry Watterson Expressway

  25. 25

    Keep slight right to continue on I 71 North: Cincinnati

    1877 ft · 32 sec

  26. 26

    Merge slight left

    71 mi · 1 hr 17 min

  27. 27

    Keep slight left to continue on I 75 North, I 71 North: Cincinnati

    18 mi · 22 min

  28. 28

    Take the exit slight right toward 12th Street, Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Pike Street, Covington

    1673 ft · 41 sec

  29. 29

    Continue on Simon Kenton Way

    153 m · 19 sec · Simon Kenton Way

  30. 30

    Turn right onto West Pike Street

    3055 ft · 2 min · West Pike Street

  31. 31

    Continue on West 7th Street

    1102 ft · 35 sec · West 7th Street

  32. 32

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · East 7th Street

Car Route Details

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

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
32 steps
10 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
12
4 merges, 8 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
4.7 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Lakeland Drive
198 mi · 29%
I 40 East
197 mi · 29%
I 24 West
165 mi · 24%
I 71 North
71.4 mi · 10%
I 75 North
18 mi · 3%
Avron B Fogelman Expressway
11.5 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

Lakeland Drive

Merge slight left

197 mi · 03h 33m

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
12h 32m
Overnight route
Same-Day Return
25h 06m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+114.9 mi
566.5 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Lobelville
06h 16m from Jackson
Leave By
10:54 AM CDT
Overnight-style route
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Jackson and Sunny near Covington.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Jackson to Covington?

The road trip is about 681.4 miles (1096.6 km) and usually takes 12h 32m 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?

Lobelville is a useful midpoint, sitting about 340.8 miles from Jackson and 340.6 miles from Covington.

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

The direct path is about 566.5 miles (911.7 km), while the road route adds roughly 114.9 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 CDT. 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 $91.04 one way or $182.08 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 213.6 kg one way.

Do you cross a time zone on this route?

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

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Jackson and Sunny near Covington.

Stop Ideas Near Lobelville

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

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Lobelville, 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 Lobelville.

BUS

Clarksville, TN

92 mi away
11 Jefferson Street \r\n
BUS

Nashville, TN

100 mi away
705 5th Avenue South

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Jackson and Covington. Straight-line distance: 566.47 mi (911.65 km).

Jackson

#1 Jackson

The capital and most populous city of Mississippi.

Population157,821
Coordinates32.2987600, -90.1848100
Altitude85
CountryUnited States
Covington

#2 Covington

The county seat of Kenton County, Kentucky.

Population40,314
Coordinates39.0836700, -84.5085500
Altitude155
CountryUnited States
Start: Jackson (-90.18481, 32.29876)
End: Covington (-84.50855, 39.08367)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 1097 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)22h 42m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)17h 02m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)13h 37m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)11h 21m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)09h 44m
80 mph (129 km/h)08h 30m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
24.04 gal
91.02 L · about $91.04
Round trip
$182.08
48.08 gal · 182.04 L
Estimated CO2
213.6 kg one way
Round trip: 427.3 kg / 942 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.79 $91.04 $182.08
Mid-grade $4.26 $102.39 $204.77
Premium $4.63 $111.19 $222.37
Diesel $5.42 $130.18 $260.35

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 Mississippi · Aug 26, 2026

Please keep in mind that there is a 1 hour time gap between Jackson, MS and Covington, KY. The current time in Jackson is 21:44:08, although it is 22:44:08 in Covington.

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.