Origin
Cary, NC
Late night in Cary on Tuesday
Local time
4:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cary, NC to Youngsville, NC
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
47m
Distance
30.2 mi
49 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cary, NC
C k
Youngsville, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 30.2-mile drive from Cary to Youngsville, North Carolina, is a straightforward, one-day trip. Expect to spend about 47 minutes on the road, with a modest fuel cost estimated at $5. The route primarily utilizes Capital Boulevard and Old Wake Forest Road, with a brief stint on I-440, making it a local drive with a few turns. Given its short distance and manageable duration, this trip is perfect for a single day, requiring no overnight stops. You'll be traveling within the Southeast region for the entirety of this journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Boulevard | 11.8 mi | 16m |
| I 440 | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Old Wake Forest Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Chapel Hill Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Wade Avenue | 2 mi | 2m |
| Holden Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Wake Forest Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| I 40 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Boulevard
— 11.8 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cary, NC and Youngsville, NC.
1
Start on North Academy Street
24 ft
·
7 sec
·
North Academy Street
2
Turn left onto Chapel Hill Road
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Chapel Hill Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 40
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 40
5
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
6
Merge onto Wade Avenue
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Wade Avenue
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 440 East, US 1 North: Wake Forest
8
Merge onto I 440; US 1
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
I 440; US 1
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward Wake Forest Rd
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn left onto SR 2000
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Wake Forest Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Turn right onto Old Wake Forest Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Wake Forest Road
Use the right lane.
12
Continue on Forest Oaks Drive
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Forest Oaks Drive
13
At end of road, turn left onto Atlantic Avenue
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
Atlantic Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn slight right onto Old Wake Forest Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Wake Forest Road
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn left onto US 1
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Capital Boulevard
Use the left lane.
16
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1
8.4 mi
·
11 min
·
Capital Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn right onto Holden Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Holden Road
18
Continue on NC 96
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Main Street
19
Arrive at destination
NC 96
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 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 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.1 miles from Cary, NC, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 19.9 — 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
|
Chapel Hill Road
Turn left onto Chapel Hill Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
12 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward Wake Forest Rd
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Wake Forest Rd
6
13.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Old Wake Forest Road
Turn right onto Old Wake Forest Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
14.9 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
Atlantic Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Atlantic Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
19.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
US 1 / Capital Boulevard
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1 / Capital Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.72 one way
$9.45 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.16 | $10.33 |
| premium | $4.70 | $5.59 | $11.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.67 | $13.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.17 | $1.45 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.64 | $1.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.93 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Youngsville, NC
Late night in Youngsville on Tuesday
Local time
4:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°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
1 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
47m 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 characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be navigating through various local roads and intersections. While 21% of the drive involves highway driving, the majority is on surface streets. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 11.8 miles along Capital Boulevard. As you progress, you'll notice the shift from more arterial roads to potentially smaller local roads as you approach your destination, requiring your attention to navigation.
Only 21% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.8 mi on Capital Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Chapel Hill Road.
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 15 decision points packed into just 30.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Chapel Hill Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 12 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles (Old Wake Forest Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Cary, NC
Full guide →Cary is a town in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. It is primarily a fast-growing suburb of Raleigh, the state capital, but has developed some economic gravity of its own. Cary is known throughout the area for having a very high population of non-native residents. The name of the city is jokingly referred to as standing for Containment/Concentration Area for Relocated Yankees.
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 47m. Total distance: 30.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.8 miles on Capital Boulevard. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Youngsville, 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: near the start (Chapel Hill Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 12 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles (Old Wake Forest Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Youngsville, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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