Alabama → Kentucky · Interstate 65 / Interstate 20
What does it actually cost to drive from Birmingham, Alabama, to Louisville, Kentucky? The hard numbers: 631 km (392 miles) of pavement primarily along Interstate 65 / Interstate 20, 6h 1m behind the wheel, and roughly $52.81 in fuel alone — that is 57.4 liters (15.2 gallons) of regular unleaded at a 0.92 USD/liter benchmark. Anyone leaving Birmingham, the largest city in Alabama and former steel-industry capital of the Deep South, typically carries samples, signed proposals, or service equipment to deliver in Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky and home of the Kentucky Derby horse race, and aims to be home the same evening. It is worth confirming whether the haul fits inside your daily hours-of-service window or whether an overnight at a midpoint hotel makes more sense. Applying the IRS standard mileage rate (2025) mileage rate of $0.43/km ($0.69/mile), the gross outbound reimbursement settles at $271.33. Attach the visit purpose, client name, and plate number to the Clara receipt so the journal entry lands directly in the business-travel expense account.