Morgan City sits on US 90, the old highway that runs between New Orleans and Lafayette across the bayou country of south Louisiana. From New Orleans the drive is around 85 miles (about 90 minutes). From Lafayette it is about 50 miles (under an hour). Amtrak's Sunset Limited, running between New Orleans and Los Angeles, stops in nearby Schriever rather than Morgan City itself; a car is effectively essential for getting around.
The Atchafalaya River divides Morgan City from the town of Berwick on the opposite bank. Three bridges cross the river here — the Long-Allen Bridge (LA 182), the Grizzaffi Bridge (US 90), and a BNSF railway lift bridge. All road traffic into town uses one of the first two.