Baton Rouge to New Orleans drive: Distance, time & best stops
The distance from Baton Rouge to New Orleans is 82 miles, with a 1h13m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Baton Rouge to New Orleans drive are the Great River Road Museum, the Oak Alley Plantation and the Whitney Plantation.
Finding things to do between Baton Rouge and New Orleans
The drive from Baton Rouge to New Orleans takes you from the capital of Louisiana to arguably the most hedonistic city in the US.
The obvious attraction in Baton Rouge is the Louisiana Capitol Building, but the castle-like Old Capitol Building is more attractive. It’s also now a museum, with interactive exhibits on democracy and the colourful characters who have walked the corridors over the decades. The colourful stained glass dome is spectacular, too.
As a museum, the Capitol Park Museum is better, telling multiple strands of Louisiana’s story. Other Baton Rouge attractions include the Magnolia Mound Plantation, built in 1791, and the environmentally educational Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center.
Great places to stay in Baton Rouge include the affordable Hampton Inn & Suites Baton Rouge Downtown and the historic Watermark.
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours, haunted pub crawls, jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
For other attractions, try the National WWII Museum, the Vue Orleans observation deck and the urban enslavement tours at Hermann Grima House.
If looking for New Orleans accommodation, the pool and jazz bar-equipped Royal Sonesta in the French Quarter is a great option. The Virgin Hotel downtown has a huge sense of fun, too.
Baton Rouge to New Orleans distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Baton Rouge to New Orleans is 82 miles. You can expect a driving time of around one hour and 13 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-10.
The best stops to add to a Baton Rouge to New Orleans road trip itinerary are the Great River Road Museum, the Oak Alley Plantation and the Whitney Plantation.
Baton Rouge to New Orleans drive: Great River Road Museum
The Great River Road Museum in Darrow LA focuses on historic life on the Mississippi River. It covers the sugar industry, commerce and slavery, but also looks at the cultural side. There are sections on the folklore that developed here, and the musical innovations that the people of the Mississippi River gave to the world.
Best stops between Baton Rouge and New Orleans: Oak Alley Plantation
Often tackled as a tour from New Orleans, the Oak Alley Plantation is one of the great plantations along the Mississippi River. This former sugar plantation is famed for its handsome oak trees, and visit can either include going inside the Big House or stick to the grounds. There are exhibits on the people who lived at Oak Alley, plus one on the slavery that was practiced here.
Baton Rouge to New Orleans road trip attractions: Whitney Plantation
Of the Louisiana plantations, the Whitney Plantation puts arguably the strongest emphasis on the role of slavery. The former sugar, rice and indigo plantation is open to visitors, with a dozen historic structures still in place. The tours focus largely on the enslaved African-Americans who did the work, rather than the lives and luxuries of the owners.
Alternatively, visit the Whitney Plantation on a tour from New Orleans.
More Baton Rouge road trips
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More New Orleans road trips
Atlanta to New Orleans | New Orleans to Biloxi | Chicago to New Orleans | Cincinnati to New Orleans | Cleveland to New Orleans | Dallas to New Orleans | New Orleans to Destin FL | New Orleans to Galveston | New Orleans to Gulf Shores | Houston to New Orleans | Huntsville to New Orleans | Jackson MS to New Orleans | Kansas City to New Orleans | Memphis to New Orleans | Nashville to New Orleans | New Orleans to Orlando | Panama City to New Orleans | Pensacola to New Orleans | New Orleans to San Antonio | Savannah to New Orleans | Tallahassee to New Orleans | Tulsa to New Orleans.