Origin
Buffalo, WV
Late night in Buffalo on Tuesday
Local time
5:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Buffalo, WV to Charleston, WV
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
34.5 mi
56 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Buffalo, WV
Nitesh Mehera
Charleston, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Buffalo to Charleston, West Virginia, you are looking at a quick 34.5-mile journey that typically takes about 43 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations. With an estimated fuel cost of just $6, it is a very budget-friendly transit within the Southeast region. The path utilizes a combination of I-64, the Fruth-Lanham Highway, and Main Street to get you to your destination efficiently. Because the trip is short and straightforward, it offers a great deal of flexibility for your schedule, whether you are commuting or heading out for a brief excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 64 | 17.1 mi | 19m |
| Fruth-Lanham Highway | 11.7 mi | 13m |
| Main Street | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| WV 869 | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Lee Street East | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Lee St Bridge | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| US 35 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Dickinson Street | <0.1 mi | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
I 64
— 17.1 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Buffalo, WV and Charleston, WV.
1
Start on River Street
34 ft
·
1 sec
·
River Street
2
Continue on WV 62
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto WV 869
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
WV 869
4
At end of road, turn left onto WV 869
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
WV 869
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
6
Merge onto US 35
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Fruth-Lanham Highway
7
Continue on US 35
389 ft
·
6 sec
·
US 35
8
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
9
Merge onto I 64
17 mi
·
19 min
·
I 64
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward US 60: Civic Center
11
Turn right onto US 60
518 ft
·
8 sec
·
Lee St Bridge
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Continue on US 60
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lee Street East
13
Turn right onto Dickinson Street
36 ft
·
0 sec
·
Dickinson Street
14
Arrive at destination
Dickinson Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 33.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
WV 869
Turn right onto WV 869
Navigation decision point
5
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
WV 869
At end of road, turn left onto WV 869
Navigation decision point
4
3.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
4
33.5 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward US 60: Civic Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 60: Civic Center
6
33.7 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
US 60 / Lee St Bridge
Turn right onto US 60 / Lee St Bridge
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.40 one way
$10.79 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.90 | $11.80 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.39 | $12.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.62 | $15.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 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 | 10.4 | 0 | $3.62 | $1.66 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.83 | $2.21 |
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
Charleston, WV
Late night in Charleston on Tuesday
Local time
5:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°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
3 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
43m 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 mixed drive transitions between highway speeds and local roads, with 53% of the journey spent on the interstate. You can expect a steady rhythm as you navigate the longest stretch of 17.1 miles along I-64. The character of the drive shifts as you move off the highway and onto the Fruth-Lanham Highway and Main Street, requiring you to adjust your pace accordingly. You will experience a blend of open road cruising and more localized driving conditions as you approach the city. It is a functional and direct route that balances speed with the necessary navigation through local streets.
53% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.1 mi on I 64.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in near WV 869.
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 34.5 miles you will encounter 8 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 2.6 miles (WV 869): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (WV 869): Navigation decision point; at 3.9 miles: Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
862 ft
538 ft
Total Climb
855 ft
Total Descent
830 ft
Highest Point
862 ft
~14.4 mi in
Elevation Range
325 ft
About the Cities
Arriving in Charleston, WV
Full guide →Charleston, established in 1794, is the state capital of West Virginia. With a population of about 49,000 in 2020, Charleston is the largest city in West Virginia. It's at the junction of Interstates 77, 79, and 64, as well as the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers, the latter of which flows prominently through the city.
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 43m. Total distance: 34.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (53%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.1 miles on I 64. 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.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through WV can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles (WV 869): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (WV 869): Navigation decision point; at 3.9 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Charleston, WV 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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