Origin
Alpharetta, GA
Late night in Alpharetta on Sunday
Local time
12:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Alpharetta, GA to Buford, GA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
20.4 mi
33 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Alpharetta, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Buford, GA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Alpharetta to Buford, this 20.4-mile trek is a straightforward journey that typically takes about 36 minutes. Given the short duration, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stay. You can expect to spend roughly $3 on fuel, making it a budget-friendly option for your Southeast travels. The path relies on local roads rather than long interstate hauls, connecting two key Georgia hubs efficiently. Whether you are commuting or just crossing town, this drive provides a practical link between the two cities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Peachtree Industrial Boulevard | 5.5 mi | 6m |
| McGinnis Ferry Road | 5.4 mi | 9m |
| Old Milton Parkway | 3.9 mi | 7m |
| Sargent Road | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Kimball Bridge Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East Shadburn Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Jones Bridge Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
— 5.5 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Alpharetta, GA and Buford, GA.
1
Start on Academy Street
139 ft
·
11 sec
·
Academy Street
2
Turn left onto GA 9
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
South Main Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto GA 120
3.9 mi
·
7 min
·
Old Milton Parkway
Use the left lane.
4
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Use the slight left lane.
5
Turn left onto GA 120
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Kimball Bridge Road
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Continue on GA 120
517 ft
·
11 sec
·
Kimball Bridge Road
7
Turn left onto Jones Bridge Road
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Jones Bridge Road
8
Turn right onto Sargent Road
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
Sargent Road
9
Enter roundabout onto Sargent Road
61 ft
·
1 sec
·
Sargent Road
10
Continue on Sargent Road
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
Sargent Road
11
Continue on Sargent Road
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Sargent Road
12
Enter roundabout onto Sargent Road
83 ft
·
2 sec
·
Sargent Road
13
Continue on Sargent Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Sargent Road
14
Turn right onto McGinnis Ferry Road
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
McGinnis Ferry Road
Use the left lane.
15
Continue on McGinnis Ferry Road
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
McGinnis Ferry Road
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
5.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto R H Smith Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
R H Smith Boulevard
18
Turn left onto East Broad Street Northeast
443 ft
·
12 sec
·
East Broad Street Northeast
19
Continue on East Shadburn Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Shadburn Avenue
20
Keep slight right at fork onto West Main Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
21
Continue on East Main Street Northeast
527 ft
·
16 sec
·
East Main Street Northeast
22
Turn right onto South Harris Street
143 ft
·
9 sec
·
South Harris Street
23
Turn left
26 ft
·
1 sec
24
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 7.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
GA 9 / South Main Street
Turn left onto GA 9 / South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
4.3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
5
6.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Sargent Road
Enter roundabout onto Sargent Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
6.9 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
Sargent Road
Enter roundabout onto Sargent Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
7.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
Sargent Road
Enter roundabout onto Sargent Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.19 one way
$6.38 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.49 | $6.98 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.78 | $7.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.50 | $9.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.14 | $0.98 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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.
Destination
Buford, GA
Late night in Buford on Sunday
Local time
12:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
36m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous highway cruise. You will spend only 19% of your time on highways, meaning the majority of your journey involves navigating local thoroughfares like Old Milton Parkway, McGinnis Ferry Road, and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Be prepared for constant adjustments behind the wheel as you transition between these roads. The longest uninterrupted segment you will encounter is a 5.5-mile stretch along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Expect a dynamic driving experience that keeps you focused on the road ahead.
Only 19% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.5 mi on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near GA 9 / South Main Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 20.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (GA 9 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (Sargent Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,177 ft
959 ft
Total Climb
479 ft
Total Descent
436 ft
Highest Point
1,177 ft
~20.4 mi in
Elevation Range
218 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 20.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.5 miles on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Buford, GA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: near the start (GA 9 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (Sargent Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Buford, GA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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