Origin
Calera, AL
Afternoon in Calera on Sunday
Local time
12:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Calera, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 19m
Distance
60.5 mi
97 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 32m
10 AM
1h 24m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Calera, AL
Wikimedia Commons
Tuscaloosa, AL
Kelly
Trip Overview
Calera, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL is 60.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 19 minutes via US 82, AL 25, and US 11, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive stays within Alabama, moving you from the Southeast region to the same. Expect a largely highway-focused experience that makes for a quick transit between these two points. It's a practical option if you're looking for a short hop with minimal fuss and a predictable journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 82 | 27.3 mi | 31m |
| AL 25 | 25.9 mi | 36m |
| US 11 | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| Old Montgomery Highway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| AL 219 | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard North | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| I 359 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Skyland Boulevard East | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 82
— 27.3 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Calera, AL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
1
Start on this road
204 ft
·
15 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto US 31; AL 25
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
US 31; AL 25
3
Turn right onto AL 25
26 mi
·
36 min
·
AL 25
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Take the ramp onto AL 219
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
AL 219
Toward US 82:west: Tuscaloosa
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on US 82
27 mi
·
31 min
·
US 82
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the exit
308 ft
·
10 sec
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on Old Montgomery Highway
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Montgomery Highway
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Turn left onto US 11
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Skyland Boulevard East
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto US 11; AL 69
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
US 11; AL 69
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 359; AL 69
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
I 359; AL 69
11
Continue on US 43; AL 69
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard North
Use the straight / left lanes.
12
Turn right onto University Boulevard
284 ft
·
10 sec
·
University Boulevard
Use the right lane.
13
Turn left
168 ft
·
12 sec
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 30.3 miles from Calera, AL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 60.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 31; AL 25
Turn right onto US 31; AL 25
Navigation decision point
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
AL 25
Turn right onto AL 25
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
26.1 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
AL 219
Take the ramp onto AL 219 toward US 82:west: Tuscaloosa
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward US 82:west: Tuscaloosa
6
60.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
|
University Boulevard
Turn right onto University Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
60.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.14 one way
$18.27 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $10.03 | $20.06 |
| premium | $4.56 | $10.86 | $21.72 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.36 | $26.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.35 | $2.90 |
| Efficient EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.29 | $2.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.2 | 0 | $8.47 | $3.87 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Tuscaloosa, AL
Afternoon in Tuscaloosa on Sunday
Local time
12:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
49°F
Brent, AL
30 mi in
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
31 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
1h 19m 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 route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 95% of the journey utilizing main roads. You'll encounter stretches of US 82, AL 25, and US 11, offering a consistent pace for most of the trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll cover is 27.3 miles on US 82, so you can settle in for a solid segment of driving. The character remains largely consistent, making it a predictable and efficient way to travel between Calera and Tuscaloosa.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27.3 mi on US 82.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 82 and AL 25. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 31; AL 25.
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 60.5 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: near the start (US 31; AL 25): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (AL 25): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.1 miles (AL 219): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Tuscaloosa, AL
Full guide →Tuscaloosa is a city of over 100,000 people (2020) in Metropolitan Alabama and home of the University of Alabama.
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 1h 19m. Total distance: 60.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27.3 miles on US 82. 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: near the start (US 31; AL 25): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (AL 25): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.1 miles (AL 219): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Tuscaloosa, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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