Origin
Apex, NC
Late night in Apex on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Apex, NC to Clayton, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
27.7 mi
45 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Apex, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Clayton, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion in the Southeast, the 27.7-mile trek from Apex to Clayton is an efficient choice. You can comfortably complete this drive in about 38 minutes, making it a perfect one-day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $4, the route remains an affordable transit between these North Carolina communities. You will primarily navigate via the Triangle Expressway, Veterans Parkway, and East Williams Street. This highway-focused path provides a straightforward connection, allowing you to bypass local congestion. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a short visit, this route offers a practical and predictable travel experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Triangle Expressway | 16.4 mi | 17m |
| Veterans Parkway | 3.2 mi | 6m |
| East Williams Street | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| South Lombard Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Salem Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North Lombard Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Triangle Expressway
— 16.4 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Apex, NC and Clayton, NC.
1
Start on North Salem Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Salem Street
2
Turn left onto NC 55
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
East Williams Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward NC 540 Toll East
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto NC 540 Toll
16 mi
·
17 min
·
Triangle Expressway
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 42 East: Smithfield
7
Merge onto I 42
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Clayton Bypass Scenic Byway
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
9
Keep slight left at fork
187 ft
·
12 sec
10
Turn left onto NC 36
3.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Veterans Parkway
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on South Lombard Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Lombard Street
12
Arrive at destination
North Lombard Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 24 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
NC 55 / East Williams Street
Turn left onto NC 55 / East Williams Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
3.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward NC 540 Toll East
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward NC 540 Toll East
5
20.9 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 42 East: Smithfield
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 42 East: Smithfield
5
24 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
24 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
NC 36 / Veterans Parkway
Turn left onto NC 36 / Veterans Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.33 one way
$8.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.74 | $9.47 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.13 | $10.25 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.12 | $12.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.91 | $1.33 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.11 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.88 | $1.77 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Clayton, NC
Late night in Clayton on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
25 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
38m 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 defined by its efficiency, with 71% of your journey spent on highways. You will spend your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 16.4 miles on the Triangle Expressway, which sets the pace for the majority of the drive. The personality of the route is distinctly fast-moving and functional, favoring speed and directness over winding backroads. As you transition from the expressway onto the Veterans Parkway and East Williams Street, the road environment shifts from open highway travel to a more localized driving experience. Expect a smooth, consistent ride that prioritizes time management over scenic detours.
71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.4 mi on Triangle Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Triangle Expressway and Veterans Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near NC 55 / East Williams Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 27.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (NC 55 / East Williams Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
499 ft
199 ft
Total Climb
325 ft
Total Descent
482 ft
Highest Point
499 ft
Elevation Range
301 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Apex, NC
Full guide →Apex, the "Peak City", is a town near Raleigh in the state of North Carolina.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 27.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.4 miles on Triangle Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Clayton, NC 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: at 0.4 miles (NC 55 / East Williams Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Clayton, NC 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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