This 120.5-mile drive from Chalkville, AL to Auburn, AL is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 2 hours and 36 minutes. Primarily utilizing US 280, which is also known as the John M. Harbert III Freeway for a portion, this route offers a straightforward journey through the Southeast region of Alabama. With an estimated fuel cost of $18, it's an economical option for a quick getaway or a connection between these two communities. The highway-focused nature makes it a practical choice when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
60.2 miles from Chalkville, AL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 20m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 280
84.1 mi
1h 42m
United States Highway 280
12.6 mi
17m
John M. Harbert III Freeway
12 mi
12m
North College Street
4.7 mi
7m
Old Springville Road Northeast
2.5 mi
4m
Edwards Lake Road
1.4 mi
3m
Pine Tree Drive
1.1 mi
2m
Brewster Road
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
US 280
— 84.1 mi, about 1h 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chalkville, AL and Auburn, AL.
1
Start on Old Springville Road Northeast
2.5 mi·4 min·Old Springville Road Northeast
2
Turn left onto Brewster Road
0.5 mi·1 min·Brewster Road
3
Turn right onto Pine Tree Drive
1.1 mi·2 min·Pine Tree Drive
4
At end of road, turn left onto Edwards Lake Road
1.4 mi·3 min·Edwards Lake Road
5
Turn right onto US 11
0.2 mi·29 sec·Gadsden Highway
6
Turn left
0.3 mi·42 sec
7
Merge onto I 459
12 mi·12 min·John M. Harbert III Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi·21 sec
Exit 19Toward US 280: Mountain Brook, ChildersburgUse the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi·1 min
Toward US 280 East: ChildersburgUse the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto US 280
13 mi·17 min·United States Highway 280
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Take the exit onto US 280
84 mi·1 hr 42 min·US 280
12
Turn right onto AL 147
0.7 mi·1 min·North College Street
Use the right lane.
13
Enter roundabout onto AL 147
77 ft·1 sec·North College Street
14
Continue on AL 147
4.0 mi·6 min·North College Street
15
Turn left
291 ft·21 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Given the relatively short duration of around 2.5 hours, this trip offers flexibility; you can depart at your convenience. Consider leaving Chalkville in the morning to arrive in Auburn with plenty of daylight. While only one scheduled stop is indicated, the longest stretch without a break is over 84 miles, so plan for a fuel or rest stop if needed. Keep an eye out for the transition as US 280 may change names or designations, as it does with the John M. Harbert III Freeway section, but the route number should remain your primary guide.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 60.2 miles from Chalkville, AL, or about 1h 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 84.1 miles.
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 27 miles or 39m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 60.2 miles or 1h 20m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 7m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Auburn, AL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Chalkville, AL 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 Chalkville, AL
This is one driving day of about 120.5 miles and 2h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 27 miles from Chalkville, AL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 280 for about 84.1 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 13
5 decision points cluster between mile 6 and 115.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
6 mi into trip|~13m in|I 459 / John M. Harbert III Freeway
Merge onto I 459 / John M. Harbert III Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
18 mi into trip|~26m in
Take the exit toward US 280: Mountain Brook, Childersburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 19
Toward US 280: Mountain Brook, Childersburg
7
18.1 mi into trip|~26m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 280 East: Childersburg
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward US 280 East: Childersburg
5
19 mi into trip|~28m in|US 280 / United States Highway 280
Merge onto US 280 / United States Highway 280
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
115.7 mi into trip|~2h 28m in|AL 147 / North College Street
Turn right onto AL 147 / North College Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$18.20 one way
$36.40 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg42 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$19.98
$39.95
premium
$4.56
$21.63
$43.26
diesel
$5.61
$26.60
$53.21
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 42.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
36.2
0
$12.65
$5.78
Efficient EV
30.1
0
$10.54
$4.82
EV Truck/SUV
48.2
0
$16.87
$7.71
Gas CO2
42 kg
EV CO2
14 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Chalkville, AL
Morning
in Chalkville on Sunday
Local time
7:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Auburn, AL
Morning
in Auburn on Sunday
Local time
7:53 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
79°F
Vincent, AL
60 mi in
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
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
29 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
2h 36m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
National Monument
In 1963, images of snarling police dogs unleashed against non-violent protesters and of children being sprayed with high-pressure hoses appeared in print and television news around the world. These dr...
7 mi from route
~17 min detour
Free
near mile 16.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a drive that is predominantly highway-focused, with 90% of the journey taking place on main roads like US 280. You'll experience a significant stretch of 84.1 miles on US 280 without interruption, suggesting a consistent pace for a good portion of the trip. This highway-focused profile means you'll likely encounter relatively smooth driving conditions with fewer turns and stops compared to more rural routes. The road character is likely to remain consistent for much of the drive, emphasizing efficiency over varied scenery.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 84.1 mi on US 280.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 280 and United States Highway 280. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 6 miles in near I 459 / John M. Harbert III Freeway.
Driving Effort5/10
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 120.5 miles you will encounter 13 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 6 miles (I 459 / John M. Harbert III Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Chalkville, AL to Auburn, AL, road signs begin pointing toward Childersburg along the way.
Auburn is in the River Heritage region of Alabama, and home to Auburn University in downtown Auburn. During the university's home football games, the town fills up with thousands of alumni and college football fans for a weekend of tailgating.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 36m. Total distance: 120.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 84.1 miles on US 280. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: at 6 miles (I 459 / John M. Harbert III Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Auburn, AL before heading back.
