Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 41m
Distance
84.3 mi
136 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Decatur, AL
Wikimedia Commons
Stevenson, AL
Taryn Elliott
The drive from Decatur, AL to Stevenson, AL covers 84.3 miles and takes about 1h 41m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 565, Huntsville-Decatur Highway, 6th Avenue Northeast for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 77 miles on I 565. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.35 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
42.2 miles from Decatur, AL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 51m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 565 | 77 mi | 1h 28m |
| Huntsville-Decatur Highway | 3 mi | 3m |
| 6th Avenue Northeast | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| AL 117 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Lee Street Northeast | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Ferry Street Northeast | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 160 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,914 veh/hr typical · worst 4,510
Quietest
1 AM
~190 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
20.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Decatur, AL and Stevenson, AL.
Start on this road
At end of road, turn left onto Ferry Street Northeast
Turn left onto Lee Street Northeast
At end of road, turn left onto US 31
Continue on US 72 Alternate; AL 20
Continue on I 565; US 72 Alternate
Take the exit
Turn left onto AL 117
Turn left onto AL 117
Turn right
Arrive at destination
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.
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 19 miles or 24m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 42.2 miles or 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 25m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Stevenson, AL than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Decatur, AL so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Decatur, AL
This is one driving day of about 84.3 miles and 1h 41m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
42 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.
A short stop after about 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 42.2 miles from Decatur, AL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before I 565 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 77 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 84.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
At end of road, turn left onto Ferry Street Northeast
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Turn left onto Lee Street Northeast
Lane positioning matters here
At end of road, turn left onto US 31 / 6th Avenue Northeast
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward AL 117: Stevenson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$12.35 one way
$24.70 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.13 | $13.71 | $27.42 |
| premium | $4.49 | $14.89 | $29.78 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $18.58 | $37.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 29.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 25.3 | 0 | $8.85 | $4.05 |
| Efficient EV | 21.1 | 0 | $7.38 | $3.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 33.7 | 0 | $11.80 | $5.40 |
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Decatur on Friday
Local time
6:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Morning in Stevenson on Friday
Local time
6:16 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Mostly Clear
70°F
Woodville, AL
42 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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
National Monument
Russell Cave National Monument is an archeological site with one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast. In the 1950s, archeologists uncovered a large quantity of artifa...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
84.3 mi in 1h 41m, mostly highway — 77 mi of that is on I 565.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 565 and Huntsville-Decatur Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Ferry Street Northeast.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 41m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Ferry Street Northeast): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.1 miles (Lee Street Northeast): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (US 31 / 6th Avenue Northeast): Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
421 ft
Total Descent
357 ft
Highest Point
831 ft
~54.2 mi in
Elevation Range
261 ft
Founded 1821
Decatur is a city in Alabama. It is called The Ballooning Capital of Alabama.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 41m. Total distance: 84.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Straightforward navigation.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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