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Trip from Alpharetta, GA to Monroe, GA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 12m

Distance

43 mi

69 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in north Fulton County, Georgia, United States

Alpharetta, GA

Wikimedia Commons

city in and the county seat of Walton County, Georgia, United States of America

Monroe, GA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 43-mile drive from Alpharetta, GA to Monroe, GA is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 12 minutes. It’s a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You’ll spend about 41% of your time on highways, with the bulk of the journey utilizing Sugarloaf Parkway and US 78. The estimated fuel cost for this relatively short route is around $7, making it an economical option for a quick getaway within the Southeast region. This drive offers a mixed experience, blending some highway speeds with more local road travel.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Sugarloaf Parkway 8 mi 13m
US 78 6 mi 8m
Duluth Highway 4.7 mi 7m
State Bridge Road 4.7 mi 8m
Loganville Highway 4.1 mi 6m
Atlanta Highway 4 mi 5m
Old Milton Parkway 3.9 mi 7m
Grayson Highway 2 mi 3m
Longest stretch: Sugarloaf Parkway — 8 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Alpharetta, GA and Monroe, 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

Continue on GA 120

1.0 mi · 1 min · State Bridge Road
Use the straight lane.
5

Keep slight right at fork onto State Bridge Road

3.7 mi · 6 min · State Bridge Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6

Continue on Pleasant Hill Road

1.1 mi · 2 min · Pleasant Hill Road
Use the left lane.
7

Turn left onto Howell Ferry Road

0.2 mi · 40 sec · Howell Ferry Road
Use the left lane.
8

Continue on McClure Bridge Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · McClure Bridge Road
9

Enter roundabout onto West Lawrenceville Street

129 ft · 3 sec · West Lawrenceville Street
10

Continue on West Lawrenceville Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Lawrenceville Street
11

Continue on GA 120

4.7 mi · 7 min · Duluth Highway
Use the left lane.
12

Turn right onto Sugarloaf Parkway

8.0 mi · 13 min · Sugarloaf Parkway
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto GA 20

2.0 mi · 3 min · Grayson Highway
Use the right lane.
14

Continue on GA 20

4.1 mi · 6 min · Loganville Highway
15

Continue on GA 20

0.3 mi · 31 sec · Lawrenceville Highway
16

Continue on GA 20

1.5 mi · 3 min · Lawrenceville Road
Use the straight lane.
17

Turn left onto US 78; GA 10; GA 81

4.0 mi · 5 min · Atlanta Highway
Use the straight lane.
18

Continue on US 78; GA 10

1.4 mi · 2 min · US 78; GA 10
Use the straight lane.
19

Continue on US 78; GA 10

4.6 mi · 6 min · US 78; GA 10
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward GA 11: Monroe, Winder Use the slight right lane.
21

Turn straight onto GA 11

0.9 mi · 2 min · North Broad Street
22

Arrive at destination

GA 11

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in and county seat of Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lawrenceville, GA

22 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Social Circle, GA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 43 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lawrenceville, GA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.5 miles from Alpharetta, GA, 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 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 41.9 — 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.
6
5.2 mi into trip | ~9m in | State Bridge Road

Keep slight right at fork onto State Bridge Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
10 mi into trip | ~18m in | Howell Ferry Road

Turn left onto Howell Ferry Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
10.7 mi into trip | ~20m in | West Lawrenceville Street

Enter roundabout onto West Lawrenceville Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

7
41.9 mi into trip | ~1h 9m in

Take the exit toward GA 11: Monroe, Winder

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward GA 11: Monroe, Winder

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.72 one way

$13.45 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $7.35 $14.70
premium $4.70 $7.96 $15.92
diesel $5.61 $9.49 $18.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 15 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.9 0 $4.52 $2.06
Efficient EV 10.8 0 $3.76 $1.72
EV Truck/SUV 17.2 0 $6.02 $2.75

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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 Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Alpharetta, GA

Late night in Alpharetta on Sunday

Local time

1:59 AM

EDT

Current temp

89°F

Sunny

NW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 17 at 2:19PM EDT until April 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Tallahassee FL

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 17 at 2:19PM EDT until April 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Tallahassee FL

Destination

Monroe, GA

Late night in Monroe on Sunday

Local time

1:59 AM

EDT

Current temp

88°F

Sunny

NW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 17 at 2:19PM EDT until April 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Tallahassee FL

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 17 at 2:19PM EDT until April 18 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Tallahassee FL

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

1 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 12m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

The drive presents a mixed profile, meaning you won't be solely on the interstate or exclusively on winding country roads. Approximately 41% of this route involves highway driving, offering stretches where you can pick up speed. The longest continuous section without a significant change in road type is 8 miles on Sugarloaf Parkway. As you transition onto US 78 and Duluth Highway, expect the character of the drive to shift, incorporating more local traffic and potentially varied speed limits. This blend makes for an engaging, rather than monotonous, driving experience.

41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on Sugarloaf Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (GA 9 / South Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.2 miles (State Bridge Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (Howell Ferry Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 12m. Total distance: 43 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8 miles on Sugarloaf Parkway. 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 Monroe, 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 5.2 miles (State Bridge Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (Howell Ferry Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. 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 Monroe, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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