# Geography Trivia: What's the closest (in miles) that you have ever been to New Orleans? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 2, 2012, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860 "2012-06-02T11:52:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/21 "2012-06-02T19:40:12Z")
Right there, the days after '05 Mardi Gras was the last time , which is the last one before Katrina. I was at a Technical Conference. Maybe someone can tell me the name of the Hotel where I stayed. It was at the corner of Canal and Bourbon. (My room overlooked Canal). Google maps is calling it Iberville Suites but that does not sound familiar. Maybe it has changed names? I think it started with an “A”. Anyways, it looks as though in would be on the Northern corner of the Canal/Bourbon intersection. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/22 "2012-06-02T19:47:26Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Maybe someone can tell me the name of the Hotel where I stayed. It was at the corner of Canal and Bourbon. (My room overlooked Canal). Don’t know but mine was easy to remember. It was at the corner of [Bourbon and Orleans](http://www.bourbonorleans.com/) 🙂 It was a lovely location but I’m surprised that it promotes “morning overlooking the French Quarter” on the website, cause it made me sort of hate blues rock when the music started up again at 9 am after a long night partying. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/23 "2012-06-02T21:52:36Z")
I changed planes in Atlanta once. The airport is around 420 miles from New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/24 "2012-06-02T23:08:40Z")
I should mention that I have visited old Orleans - the one in France. ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/25 "2012-06-03T01:13:33Z")
I got my first Undergrad degree at LSU in Baton Rouge, just about 45 mins from New Orleans. I visited New Orleans many, many times, since Baton Rouge kinda sucked. I was in BR during the awful hurricane season that brought us Katrina and Rita. That was a lil scurry. I visited NO shortly after Katrina. The city felt like a ghost town, and the areas that had been hit hardest were still partially flooded, and completely decimated. Pretty shocking to see in person, to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![Dano83860](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@Dano83860](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dano83860)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/26 "2012-06-03T01:47:32Z")
Lived in Nawlins from Dec. 82 throught Dec 86. Bought a house in Westend on Avenue B and worked for Tidewater when they were on Canal St. I googled the house on Avenue B for grins a while back. It’s just a vacant lot post Katrina. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/27 "2012-06-03T01:54:20Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Last time I was for sure there was 1986. We were in Louisiana in the late 80’s but I don’t think we got closer than I-10 on the way to Lafayette. That would make the 1-20 choice the most recent. I-10 runs right through New Orleans. Been years since I’ve driven that way, but I think you can see the Superdome from the interstate. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/28 "2012-06-03T02:05:58Z")
Was there in 1997. Meh. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/29 "2012-06-03T03:46:50Z")
I spent 24 hours there on my 2002 road trip. A short but extremely fun visit. I stayed at Le Richelieu (not in the McCartney suite, unfortunately). When I strolled down to Jackson Square it seemed like Disneyland in real life–ha! Had dinner at Pontalba, walked around with a hand grenade, had chicory and a beignet at the Cafe du Monde–the usual tourist stuff. The aquarium was pretty cool, except for the screaming hordes of schoolkids. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/30 "2012-06-03T03:58:20Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > Was there in 1997. > > Meh. You didn’t do it right. Meh is not usually a descriptor associated with New Orleans. I have heard a few people say they hate it for legitimate reasons of their own but never a simple shrug off. That is just lazy. It is a unique, world-class city and historical site that serves an real-life open air theme park. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/31 "2012-06-03T04:02:02Z")
I don’t vote in public polls. But it would be Shreveport, Louisiana, however many miles that is. Probably about 1970 or 1971. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/32 "2012-06-03T04:56:47Z")
I spent a few hours on a layover at Houston Intercontinental Airport. It looks like that’s just under 400 miles from New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/33 "2012-06-03T05:06:01Z")
Layover at Houston Airport on the way to Boston a number of times is the closest I’ve come to New Orleans so far. I do hope to go there some day. On preview…one of those times was the same trip as **Suburban Plankton** just mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/34 "2012-06-03T05:12:55Z")
In 2008 I drove by myself from New York to New Orleans. That was a mistake - solo road trips suck, and if I’d flown I would have been able to spend more time in that wonderful city! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/35 "2012-06-03T06:41:39Z")
I visited New Orleans for three days back in the mid-nineties (it was either 1995 or 1996). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/36 "2012-06-03T06:53:34Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > It’s probably way too early for this observation to mean too much but judging from the responses so far anybody who’s gotten within 100 miles of New Orleans went ahead and visited the place. Is that a fair conclusion from our poll? As I posted, I visited the city back in the nineties. But I came close to almost visiting the city this year. I was driving down to Houston and my original planned route was to drive down 55 to Hammond and then turn west on 12. If I had followed that route I would have driven within thirty miles of New Orleans on a cross-country trip without entering the city. (As it turned out, I actually ended up taking 55 only to Jackson, Mississippi and then getting on 20 to go west.) ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/37 "2012-06-03T07:00:34Z")
Not counting airport layovers (Atlanta & Dallas), the closest I’ve been to New Orleans is Clearwater, FL (460 miles). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/38 "2012-06-03T07:41:20Z")
According to a cached page from [distancebetweencities.com](http://distancebetweencities.com), it’s 517 miles from Mena, Arkansas to New Orleans. I’ve been to the airport somewhere in the boonies near Mena (which is a story in itself), but I don’t think it quite gets me into the 101-500 range. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/39 "2012-06-03T07:44:02Z")
Closest i’ve been is somewhere around Texarkana, which put me in the 100-500 mile category. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2012, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860/40 "2012-06-03T08:10:27Z")
On a family vacation in 1993, we were traveling most of the US. Coming from Texas, we spent the night in Baton Rouge and then continued traveling east to Mississippi. Looking at the map, the closest we got was where I-12 joins up with I-10 again north of New Orleans which is ~30 miles. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-trivia-whats-the-closest-in-miles-that-you-have-ever-been-to-new-orleans/623860.md?page=3)