Origin
Birmingham, AL
Morning in Birmingham on Sunday
Local time
11:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Birmingham, AL to Pell City, AL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
34 mi
55 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Birmingham, AL
Wikimedia Commons
Pell City, AL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 34-mile trip from Birmingham to Pell City, Alabama, is easily manageable in about 41 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a day trip. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with no highway driving involved, so expect a turn-heavy experience. With an estimated fuel cost of just $5, this is an economical drive. Since there are no designated stops and the journey is so brief, you have plenty of flexibility to leave whenever you're ready. This route stays within the Southeast region, offering a straightforward local connection.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 20 | 27.7 mi | 30m |
| 1st Avenue North | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| Martin Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| 24th Street North | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Comer Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Cogswell Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 64th Street North | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 1st Avenue South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 20
— 27.7 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Birmingham, AL and Pell City, AL.
1
Start on 24th Street North
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
24th Street North
2
Turn left onto US 11
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
1st Avenue North
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto 64th Street North
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
64th Street North
4
Turn right onto 1st Avenue South
283 ft
·
6 sec
·
1st Avenue South
5
Turn left
146 ft
·
5 sec
6
At end of road, turn left
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 20 East: Atlanta
7
Merge onto I 20
28 mi
·
30 min
·
I 20
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 158
Toward US 231, AL 53: Ashville, Pell City
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto US 231
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Martin Street
10
Turn right onto Comer Avenue
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Comer Avenue
11
Turn right onto US 78
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Cogswell Avenue
12
Arrive at destination
US 78
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 32.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 11 / 1st Avenue North
Turn left onto US 11 / 1st Avenue North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
4.3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
1st Avenue South
Turn right onto 1st Avenue South
Navigation decision point
6
4.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
At end of road, turn left toward I 20 East: Atlanta
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward I 20 East: Atlanta
5
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 20
Merge onto I 20
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
32.3 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward US 231, AL 53: Ashville, Pell City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 158
Toward US 231, AL 53: Ashville, Pell City
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.13 one way
$10.27 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $5.64 | $11.27 |
| premium | $4.56 | $6.10 | $12.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.51 | $15.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.18 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Pell City, AL
Morning in Pell City on Sunday
Local time
11:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
79°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
30 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
41m 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?
Prepare for a local drive characterized by frequent turns rather than long stretches of open road. With a 0% highway share, this route sticks to city streets and local thoroughfares like 1st Avenue North, 64th Street North, and 1st Avenue South. The absence of a 'longest stretch' indicates a continuous series of intersections and changes in direction. This 'turn-heavy' profile means you'll be actively engaged with navigation throughout the entire 41-minute journey, making it feel more like a series of connected neighborhood drives than a typical highway cruise.
82% 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: 27.7 mi on I 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and 1st Avenue North. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near US 11 / 1st Avenue North.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 34 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: at 0.3 miles (US 11 / 1st Avenue North): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles (1st Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 4.4 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
About the Cities
Starting in Birmingham, AL
Full guide →Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama, and its cultural and economic nucleus. While it's best remembered as the site of protest, bombings, and other racial tumult during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, visitors to the Birmingham of today will find a pleasant green city of ridges, valleys, attractive views, and friendly, hospitable people.
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 41m. Total distance: 34 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27.7 miles on I 20. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.3 miles (US 11 / 1st Avenue North): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles (1st Avenue South): Navigation decision point; at 4.4 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Pell City, AL 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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