Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
4h 37m
Distance
241.2 mi
388 km
Drive Score
10/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$37
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Beckley, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Wiley Ford, WV
Tibor Szabo
Beckley to Wiley Ford is 241.2 miles and takes about 4h 37m via Senator Jennings Randolph Highway and I-68, with a fuel budget near $37 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within West Virginia, moving from the Southeast region to the Southeast region. It's a solid one-day drive that offers a mix of highway cruising and surface road travel. Plan for about 60% of your time on highways, making it a straightforward, albeit not entirely freeway, excursion.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
120.6 miles from Beckley, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 23m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Jennings Randolph Highway | 90.3 mi | 1h 37m |
| I 68 | 75 mi | 1h 22m |
| US 19 | 67.2 mi | 1h 22m |
| Robert C. Byrd Drive | 4.6 mi | 7m |
| MD 61 | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| North Kanawha Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| WV 28 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Industrial Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 5 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~924 veh/hr typical · worst 1,297
Quietest
2 AM
~74 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 37 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Beckley, WV and Wiley Ford, WV.
Start on WV 210
Turn right onto WV 16
Continue on US 19; WV 16
Take the exit onto US 19
Take the exit
Merge onto I 79; US 19
Take the exit
Continue on I 68
Take the exit
Merge onto MD 51
Take the exit onto MD 61
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 61
Continue on WV 28
Turn right onto CR 28/12
Turn left onto CR 28/24
Arrive at destination
Given the 4h 37m estimated drive time, you can comfortably complete this trip in one day. Aim for an early morning departure from Beckley to maximize daylight and allow for a relaxed pace. With only one recommended stop, you have flexibility, but it's wise to fuel up before leaving Beckley, as the $37 estimate suggests a moderate fuel cost. Pay attention to the transition points between highway and surface roads, especially the 90.3-mile segment on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, to manage your speed accordingly.
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.
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 53 miles or 1h 7m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 120.6 miles or 2h 23m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 47m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Wiley Ford, WV than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Beckley, WV 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 Beckley, WV
This is one driving day of about 241.2 miles and 4h 37m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
121 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.
A short stop after about 53 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 120.6 miles from Beckley, WV, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Senator Jennings Randolph Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 90.3 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 238.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto WV 16 / Robert C. Byrd Drive
Navigation decision point
Take the exit onto US 19 toward US 19 North: Summersville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 79, US 19 North: Clarksburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 68 East: Cumberland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Take the exit toward MD 51: Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Regular Gas
$36.96 one way
$73.92 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $40.56 | $81.12 |
| premium | $4.64 | $44.03 | $88.07 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $53.17 | $106.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$37
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$62–$87
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 84.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 72.4 | 0 | $25.33 | $11.58 |
| Efficient EV | 60.3 | 0 | $21.11 | $9.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 96.5 | 1 | $33.77 | $15.44 |
Gas CO2
84 kg
EV CO2
28 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Beckley on Friday
Local time
3:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Partly Cloudy
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued August 28 at 2:39AM EDT until August 28 at 6:30AM EDT by NWS Charleston WV
Destination
Late night in Wiley Ford on Friday
Local time
3:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Cloudy
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued August 28 at 2:39AM EDT until August 28 at 6:30AM EDT by NWS Charleston WV
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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Recreation Area
The 25 miles of free-flowing Gauley River and the six miles of the Meadow River pass through scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide variety of natural and cultural features. The Gauley River cont...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
You'll spend about 60% of your 241.2 miles on highways. The longest continuous stretch on surface roads is 90.3 miles along the Senator Jennings Randolph Highway. Expect a shift from highway speeds to more moderate surface road travel as you progress. This means you'll notice the change in pace and potentially more frequent intersections after leaving the interstate.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near WV 16 / Robert C. Byrd Drive.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 241.2 miles you will encounter 11 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: at 0.8 miles (WV 16 / Robert C. Byrd Drive): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (US 19): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 72.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
2,022 ft
Total Descent
3,754 ft
Highest Point
2,596 ft
~224 mi in
Elevation Range
1,908 ft
Founded 1838
Beckley is a city of 17,256 (as of 2020) in West Virginia, and is the county seat of Raleigh County pop. 74,591 (2020). It sits on a high plateau above the New River Gorge at an elevation of 2,418 feet. It was founded in 1838 and named for John J Beckley, the first Clerk of the House of Representatives and the first Librarian of Congress. Once a major coal industry hub, Beckley contains a small historic downtown and many suburban neighborhoods. The Beckley area serves as the overall regional commercial center for Southern West Virginia region, and has many big box stores and chain restaurants, in contrast to the small-town nature of its surrounding communities. Beckley sits as the closest town to the Grandview portion of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, and has easy access within 40 minutes to the park's 2 other visitor centers near Fayetteville and Hinton.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 37m. Total distance: 241.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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