Alabaster to Talladega is 52.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 19 minutes via US 280 and County Road 11, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This relatively short trip stays within Alabama, moving from the Southeast region to another part of the Southeast. The majority of the route is on highways, making for a straightforward drive. Given its brevity, this is an ideal day trip, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 280
18.4 mi
23m
County Road 11
9.9 mi
14m
Desoto Caverns Parkway
9.4 mi
16m
AL 21
7.1 mi
8m
Fort Lashley Avenue
2.2 mi
3m
1st Street North
1.3 mi
2m
Simmsville Road
1.1 mi
2m
County Road 280
1.1 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
US 280
— 18.4 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alabaster, AL and Talladega, AL.
1
Start on this road
298 ft·24 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto 2nd Place Northwest
185 ft·13 sec·2nd Place Northwest
3
Turn left onto US 31; AL 119
1.3 mi·2 min·1st Street North
4
Turn right onto CR 68
0.8 mi·2 min·County Road 68
5
Turn left onto CR 11
1.1 mi·2 min·Simmsville Road
6
Continue on CR 11
9.9 mi·14 min·County Road 11
7
At end of road, turn right onto CR 280
1.0 mi·2 min·County Road 280
8
Continue on Cr 280
317 ft·9 sec·County Road 280
9
Turn right onto US 280
3.0 mi·3 min·US 280
10
Take the exit onto US 280
15 mi·19 min·US 280
11
Turn left onto AL 76
0.6 mi·1 min·1st Street Southwest
12
Continue on AL 76
9.4 mi·16 min·Desoto Caverns Parkway
13
At end of road, turn left onto AL 21
7.1 mi·8 min·AL 21
14
Turn right onto Fort Lashley Avenue
2.2 mi·3 min·Fort Lashley Avenue
15
Continue on West Battle Street
0.3 mi·33 sec·West Battle Street
16
Turn left onto North Spring Street
0.1 mi·30 sec·North Spring Street
17
Arrive at destination
North Spring Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 26.2 miles from Alabaster, AL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 32.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|2nd Place Northwest
Turn right onto 2nd Place Northwest
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|US 31; AL 119 / 1st Street North
Turn left onto US 31; AL 119 / 1st Street North
Navigation decision point
4
1.4 mi into trip|~2m in|CR 68 / County Road 68
Turn right onto CR 68 / County Road 68
Navigation decision point
4
13.2 mi into trip|~22m in|CR 280 / County Road 280
At end of road, turn right onto CR 280 / County Road 280
Navigation decision point
4
32.7 mi into trip|~48m in|AL 76 / 1st Street Southwest
Turn left onto AL 76 / 1st Street Southwest
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.69 one way
$15.38 round trip
$3.72/gal25.4 MPG avg18 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.13
$8.54
$17.08
premium
$4.49
$9.27
$18.54
diesel
$5.60
$11.57
$23.15
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
15.8
0
$5.51
$2.52
Efficient EV
13.1
0
$4.59
$2.10
EV Truck/SUV
21
0
$7.35
$3.36
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Sep 4, 2026
Origin
Alabaster, AL
Night
in Alabaster on Friday
Local time
9:05 PM
CDT
Current temp
75°F
Mostly Clear
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 3 at 11:36PM CDT until September 6 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Birmingham AL
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 9:27AM CDT until September 5 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Huntsville AL
Destination
Talladega, AL
Night
in Talladega on Friday
Local time
9:05 PM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Clear
0 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 3 at 11:36PM CDT until September 6 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Birmingham AL
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 9:27AM CDT until September 5 at 8:00PM CDT by NWS Huntsville AL
72°F
Chelsea, AL
26 mi in
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
2 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 19m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is mostly highway, with 66% of the 52.5 miles on higher-speed roads like US 280. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch on US 280, covering 18.4 miles. The route transitions to surface roads, including County Road 11 and Desoto Caverns Parkway, for the remaining portion. Expect a mix of cruising on main arteries and navigating local roads as you approach your destination.
66% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.4 mi on US 280.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 280 and County Road 11. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 2nd Place Northwest.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 19m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (2nd Place Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 31; AL 119 / 1st Street North): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (CR 68 / County Road 68): Navigation decision point.
The longest stretch is about 18.4 miles on US 280. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (2nd Place Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 31; AL 119 / 1st Street North): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (CR 68 / County Road 68): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument and Freedom Riders National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Talladega, AL before heading back.
