How far is Louisville, KY from Paintsville, KY?

The driving distance from Louisville, KY to Paintsville, KY is about 186.8 miles (300.6 km), with a travel time of about 03h 29m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 163.5 miles (263.1 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 06h 58m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 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
186.77 mi
03h 29m
Flight
163.51 mi
263.14 km direct

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

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Louisville.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
163.51 mi
Kilometers
263.14 km
Flight Time
00h 19m

Driving Distance

Road route
186.77 mi
Kilometers
300.58 km
Drive Time
03h 29m

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 03h 29m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Paintsville
Sat, Apr 18, 4:00 AM EDT
Return by in Louisville
Sat, Apr 18, 7:29 AM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Louisville
2026-04-18T00:30
Arrive Paintsville
Sat, Apr 18, 4:00 AM EDT
Route Timing
03h 29m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 8:00 AM EDT
Leave early for more breathing room
Arrive between
9:29 AM to 11:29 AM EDT

An early departure helps you fit a real stop into the day without turning the return into a late-night drive.

Leave by
10:02 AM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 04h 00m at the destination.
Back in Louisville
9:00 PM EDT
Early departure recommended

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
Winchester
KY

City in and the county seat of Clark County, Kentucky, United States

From Louisville
93.3 mi
01h 44m
To Paintsville
93.5 mi
01h 44m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
79°F
Saturday

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
8 to 14 mph SW
Destination
88°F
Saturday

Chance Rain Showers

Starts
Sat, Apr 18 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
0 to 7 mph SSW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Louisville and Paintsville.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Louisville and Paintsville.

  1. 1

    Start on West Jefferson Street

    1611 ft · 1 min · West Jefferson Street

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Roy Wilkins Avenue

    535 ft · 11 sec · Roy Wilkins Avenue

  3. 3

    Take the ramp straight toward I 64 West, I 64 East: New Albany, Saint Louis, Lexington

    139 m · 11 sec

  4. 4

    Keep slight right to continue on I 64 East: Lexington

    1063 ft · 26 sec

  5. 5

    Merge slight right

    76.8 mi · 1 hr 26 min

  6. 6

    Take the exit slight left toward I 64 East: Winchester, Ashland

    16.6 mi · 19 min

  7. 7

    Keep slight right to continue on Mountain Parkway

    76.7 mi · 1 hr 23 min · Mountain Parkway

  8. 8

    Turn left onto Rock House Road

    1.4 km · 58 sec · Rock House Road

  9. 9

    Continue on Wheeler Branch Road

    1 km · 43 sec · Wheeler Branch Road

  10. 10

    Continue on New Paintsville Road

    12.1 mi · 14 min · New Paintsville Road

  11. 11

    Continue straight

    2.1 mi · 3 min

  12. 12

    Keep slight left to continue on 3rd Street

    1125 ft · 24 sec · 3rd Street

  13. 13

    Turn right onto Court Street

    151 m · 22 sec · Court Street

  14. 14

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Court Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Louisville and Paintsville.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Highway-focused drive

Most of the mileage stays on named highways, so the important moments are ramps, exits, merges, and the final local approach.

Directions
14 steps
3 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
3
1 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
7.5 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
I 64 East
93.6 mi · 50%
Mountain Parkway
76.7 mi · 41%
New Paintsville Road
14.2 mi · 8%
Rock House Road
0.85 mi
Wheeler Branch Road
0.64 mi
West Jefferson Street
0.31 mi
Longest Stretch

I 64 East

Merge slight right

76.8 mi · 01h 26m

Route Summary

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

Trip Read

A longer out-and-back drive

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

Drive Time
03h 29m
Long day trip
Same-Day Return
06h 58m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+23.3 mi
163.5 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Winchester
01h 44m from Louisville
Leave By
10:02 AM EDT
Early departure recommended
Weather Watch

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely leaving Louisville and Chance Rain Showers near Paintsville.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Louisville to Paintsville?

The road trip is about 186.8 miles (300.6 km) and usually takes 03h 29m in normal driving conditions.

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

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Winchester is a useful midpoint, sitting about 93.3 miles from Louisville and 93.5 miles from Paintsville.

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

The direct path is about 163.5 miles (263.1 km), while the road route adds roughly 23.3 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 8:00 AM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 10:02 AM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $24.85 one way or $49.70 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 58.6 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Showers And Thunderstorms Likely around Louisville and Chance Rain Showers near Paintsville.

Stop Ideas Near Winchester

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

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

RAIL

Maysville

82 mi away
West Front St & Rosemary Clooney St

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Louisville and Paintsville. Straight-line distance: 163.51 mi (263.14 km).

Louisville

#1 Louisville

The nineteenth most populous city in the United States and the center of the Louisville metropolitan area.

Population760,026
Coordinates38.2542400, -85.7594100
Altitude142
CountryUnited States
Paintsville

#2 Paintsville

City in Kentucky

Population3,925
Coordinates37.8145400, -82.8071100
Altitude187
CountryUnited States
Start: Louisville (-85.75941, 38.25424)
End: Paintsville (-82.80711, 37.81454)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 301 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)06h 13m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)04h 40m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)03h 44m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)03h 06m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)02h 40m
80 mph (129 km/h)02h 19m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
6.59 gal
24.95 L · about $24.85
Round trip
$49.70
13.18 gal · 49.9 L
Estimated CO2
58.6 kg one way
Round trip: 117.1 kg / 258 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.77 $24.85 $49.70
Mid-grade $4.25 $28.03 $56.05
Premium $4.65 $30.67 $61.34
Diesel $5.30 $34.95 $69.91

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 · Apr 18, 2026

There is no time difference between Louisville and Paintsville. The current time is 00:30:59.

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.