Origin
Denver, NC
Late night in Denver on Sunday
Local time
3:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Denver, NC to Charlotte, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
26.1 mi
42 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Denver, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Charlotte, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Denver, NC to Charlotte, NC is 26.1 miles and takes about 36m via NC 16/Brookshire Boulevard/Brookshire Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within the Southeast region and North Carolina for its entirety. Expect a predominantly highway-focused experience, making it a straightforward connection between these two points. It's a short drive, ideal for a single-day trip with plenty of time to spare.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NC 16 | 18 mi | 22m |
| Brookshire Boulevard | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Brookshire Freeway | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Saint James Church Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| North Tryon Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West 11th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| NC 16 BUS | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Tryon Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
NC 16
— 18 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Denver, NC and Charlotte, NC.
1
Start on this road
127 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right onto NC 16 BUS
358 ft
·
12 sec
·
NC 16 BUS
3
Turn right onto Saint James Church Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Saint James Church Road
4
Take the ramp onto Saint James Church Road
167 ft
·
5 sec
·
Saint James Church Road
5
Turn right onto NC 16
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
·
NC 16
6
Take the exit
191 ft
·
12 sec
7
Turn left onto NC 16
18 mi
·
22 min
·
NC 16
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto NC 16
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Brookshire Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on NC 16
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Brookshire Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Exit 3B
Toward Eleventh Street, Church Street, Tryon Street
Use the slight right lane.
11
Continue on West 11th Street
459 ft
·
13 sec
·
West 11th Street
12
Turn right onto North Tryon Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Tryon Street
13
Arrive at destination
South Tryon Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 25.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NC 16 BUS
At end of road, turn right onto NC 16 BUS
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
4
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
NC 16
Turn right onto NC 16
Navigation decision point
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
NC 16
Turn left onto NC 16
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
19.4 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
NC 16 / Brookshire Boulevard
Keep slight right at fork onto NC 16 / Brookshire Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
25.4 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward Eleventh Street, Church Street, Tryon Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 3B
Toward Eleventh Street, Church Street, Tryon St...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.08 one way
$8.16 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $4.46 | $8.93 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.83 | $9.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.76 | $11.53 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Charlotte, NC
Late night in Charlotte on Sunday
Local time
3:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
23 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
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.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive has a highway-focused profile, with 79% of the journey utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 18 miles on NC 16, which forms the backbone of this route. As you progress, the road transitions from NC 16 to Brookshire Boulevard and then Brookshire Freeway, indicating a shift towards more urban interstate conditions as you approach Charlotte. It's a route designed for efficient travel rather than leisurely sightseeing.
79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18 mi on NC 16.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NC 16 and Brookshire Boulevard. 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 NC 16 BUS.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 26.1 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 (NC 16 BUS): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.3 miles (NC 16): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (NC 16): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Charlotte, NC
Full guide →Charlotte is an ambitious and rapidly growing city in the southern part of the Piedmont of North Carolina. It is also developing its fledgling tourist industry; its central core is one of the most visitor-friendly districts in the Carolinas. Charlotte's most popular attractions include the Carolina Panthers (NFL), the Charlotte Hornets (NBA), the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Charlotte Ballet, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Mint Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Billy Graham Library, Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte Museum of History, Carowinds amusement park, and the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
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 36m. Total distance: 26.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18 miles on NC 16. 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 Charlotte, 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 (NC 16 BUS): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.3 miles (NC 16): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (NC 16): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Charlotte, 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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