This 151.5-mile drive from Anniston, AL to East Florence, AL is a manageable one-day trip, estimated to take around 2 hours and 54 minutes. You'll navigate through local roads for the entirety of the journey, with no highway driving involved. With a projected fuel cost of $23, this route offers an economical way to travel within the Southeast region. The drive is characterized by frequent turns, making it a more engaging local road experience than a straightforward highway cruise. Plan for a single stop along the way to break up the drive. Overall, it's a practical and straightforward journey perfect for a single day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
75.4 miles from Anniston, AL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 48m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
AL 157
61.5 mi
1h 15m
Thompson Bridge Road
37.6 mi
52m
US 431
30.5 mi
42m
AL 133
7.9 mi
11m
US 278
6.3 mi
8m
Wheeler Highway
2.1 mi
2m
Noble Street
2.1 mi
3m
Saks Road
1.4 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
AL 157
— 61.5 mi, about 1h 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Anniston, AL and East Florence, AL.
1
Start on this road
0.1 mi·48 sec·this road
2
At end of road, turn left onto Gurnee Avenue
0.1 mi·22 sec·Gurnee Avenue
3
Turn right onto West 14th Street
492 ft·20 sec·West 14th Street
4
Turn left onto Noble Street
2.1 mi·3 min·Noble Street
5
Continue on Old Gadsden Highway
0.3 mi·33 sec·Old Gadsden Highway
6
Turn right onto Saks Road
1.4 mi·2 min·Saks Road
7
Turn left onto US 431
30 mi·42 min·US 431
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn left onto 4th Street Northwest
0.5 mi·50 sec·4th Street Northwest
9
Turn slight right onto US 278; US 431
1.8 mi·2 min·US 278; US 431
Use the right lane.
10
Turn left onto US 278
2.9 mi·4 min·US 278
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on US 278
516 ft·8 sec·Thompson Bridge Road
12
Continue on US 278
1.6 mi·2 min·US 278
13
Continue on US 278
37 mi·52 min·Thompson Bridge Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
14
Turn right onto AL 157
62 mi·1 hr 15 min·AL 157
Use the straight lane.
15
Merge onto US 72 Alternate; AL 20; AL 157
2.1 mi·2 min·Wheeler Highway
16
Turn right onto AL 133; AL 157
7.9 mi·11 min·AL 133; AL 157
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
17
Turn right onto CR 32
0.4 mi·56 sec·Huntsville Road
Use the right lane.
18
Turn left onto Midway Street
60 ft·2 sec·Midway Street
19
Arrive at destination
Midway Street
Trip Plan
Given the 2 hour and 54-minute duration and its local road nature, starting your drive in Anniston earlier in the day can help you avoid potential local traffic. With only one stop recommended for the 151.5 miles, you have flexibility in how you pace yourself. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially since this is a turn-heavy route where fuel efficiency might be slightly lower than on highways; the estimated fuel cost is $23. A good tip for this specific route is to familiarize yourself with the main roads mentioned – Gurnee Avenue, West 14th Street, and Noble Street – beforehand, as they form the backbone of this local navigation.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 75.4 miles from Anniston, AL, or about 1h 48m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 61.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 33 miles or 49m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 75.4 miles or 1h 48m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 47m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near East Florence, AL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Anniston, AL so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Anniston, AL
This is one driving day of about 150.9 miles and 3h 23m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 33 miles from Anniston, AL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on AL 157 for about 61.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 142.6 — 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|Gurnee Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Gurnee Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|West 14th Street
Turn right onto West 14th Street
Navigation decision point
5
36.8 mi into trip|~54m in|US 278
Turn left onto US 278
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
78.9 mi into trip|~1h 52m in|AL 157
Turn right onto AL 157
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
142.6 mi into trip|~3h 10m in|AL 133; AL 157
Turn right onto AL 133; AL 157
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$22.79 one way
$45.58 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg53 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$25.02
$50.03
premium
$4.56
$27.08
$54.17
diesel
$5.61
$33.32
$66.63
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 52.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $16 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
45.3
0
$15.84
$7.24
Efficient EV
37.7
0
$13.20
$6.04
EV Truck/SUV
60.4
0
$21.13
$9.66
Gas CO2
53 kg
EV CO2
18 kg (66% 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 20, 2026
Origin
Anniston, AL
Late night
in Anniston on Tuesday
Local time
5:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
East Florence, AL
Late night
in East Florence on Tuesday
Local time
5:38 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
20 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
3h 23m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Freedom Riders National Monument
National Monument
In 1961, a small interracial band of “Freedom Riders” challenged discriminatory laws requiring separation of the races in interstate travel. They were attacked by white segregationists, who firebombed...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for this entire 151.5-mile route, as the highway share is 0%. This means you'll be navigating local streets like Gurnee Avenue, West 14th Street, and Noble Street for the bulk of your journey. Without long stretches of highway, the drive will likely feel more dynamic, with constant adjustments to your route. The absence of a longest uninterrupted stretch statistic suggests a continuous series of turns and intersections. This road character makes it less about covering ground quickly and more about engaging with the local infrastructure.
70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 61.5 mi on AL 157.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on AL 157 and Thompson Bridge Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Gurnee Avenue.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 23m drive. You will face about 13 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 (Gurnee Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West 14th Street): Navigation decision point; at 36.8 miles (US 278): Lane positioning matters here.
Anniston is a town of 22,000 people (2018) on the slope of the Blue Mountain in Alabama. It has several historic sites from the civil rights campaign of the 1960s.
The longest stretch is about 61.5 miles on AL 157. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Gurnee Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (West 14th Street): Navigation decision point; at 36.8 miles (US 278): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Freedom Riders National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.4 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.8 hours — manageable with a long break at East Florence, AL, but most travelers stay overnight.
