You can make Dallas to New Orleans in about 8 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 520 miles on I-20, I-49 and I-10, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Dallas
Aim to clear Dallas before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 189 miles to Shreveport.
The headline stop on this route is Shreveport's riverfront boardwalk. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Shreveport
Shreveport sits about 189 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Cajun food in Lafayette is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Alexandria
Alexandria sits about 310 miles in. It makes a good spot to stretch, eat something that is not from a gas station, and swap drivers.
Lafayette, the last stretch
Lafayette sits about 394 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into New Orleans
The final 126 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for The 18-mile Atchafalaya Basin Bridge; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Shreveport's riverfront boardwalk, Cajun food in Lafayette and The 18-mile Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Shreveport or Lafayette, LA is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along I-20, I-49 and I-10 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
