Origin
Despard, WV
Evening in Despard on Sunday
Local time
5:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Despard, WV to Morgantown, WV
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
35.4 mi
57 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Despard, WV
Wadolek
Morgantown, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Despard, WV to Morgantown, WV is 35.4 miles and takes about 45m via Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Southeast region and West Virginia for its entirety. Expect a local, turn-heavy experience rather than a straightforward highway cruise. With its short distance and manageable duration, this route is best suited for a same-day trip, allowing for flexibility in your departure and arrival times. Consider this an easy local connection for a quick transit.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Jennings Randolph Highway | 26.9 mi | 28m |
| Grafton Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Murphys Run Road | 2.2 mi | 5m |
| University Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| I 68 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Johnson Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Kirk Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Spruce Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
— 26.9 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Despard, WV and Morgantown, WV.
1
Start on CR 24/2
2.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Murphys Run Road
2
Turn right onto CR 24
410 ft
·
10 sec
·
Meadowbrook Road
3
Continue on CR 24
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Johnson Avenue
4
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
5
Merge onto I 79
27 mi
·
28 min
·
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I 68 East: Cumberland
7
Continue on I 68
0.7 mi
·
45 sec
·
I 68
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward US 119: Downtown
9
Keep slight left at fork
106 ft
·
4 sec
10
Turn left onto US 119
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Grafton Road
11
Continue on US 119
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
University Avenue
12
Turn right onto Kirk Street
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Kirk Street
13
Continue on Spruce Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Spruce Street
14
Turn left onto WV 7
300 ft
·
12 sec
·
Walnut Street
15
Turn left onto High Street
64 ft
·
2 sec
·
High Street
16
Arrive at destination
High Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.7 miles from Despard, WV, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 2.2 and 35.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
CR 24 / Meadowbrook Road
Turn right onto CR 24 / Meadowbrook Road
Navigation decision point
4
2.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
4
29.8 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward I 68 East: Cumberland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 68 East: Cumberland
5
31.2 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
35.3 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
WV 7 / Walnut Street
Turn left onto WV 7 / Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.54 one way
$11.07 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $6.05 | $12.11 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.55 | $13.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.82 | $15.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.72 | $1.70 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.96 | $2.27 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Morgantown, WV
Evening in Morgantown on Sunday
Local time
5:52 PM
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
45m 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 is characterized as turn-heavy and local, with a highway share of just 2. You'll encounter a mix of roads including Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, Grafton Road, and Murphys Run Road. The longest continuous stretch you'll cover is 26.9 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway. The profile suggests a more engaging, winding journey rather than a high-speed interstate experience, so be prepared for more frequent adjustments to your steering and speed.
Only 2% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.9 mi on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.2 miles in near CR 24 / Meadowbrook Road.
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 35.4 miles you will encounter 9 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 2.2 miles (CR 24 / Meadowbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 29.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
About the Cities
Arriving in Morgantown, WV
Full guide →Morgantown is the third largest city in West Virginia, and is the county seat of Monongalia County. It is home to West Virginia University, the state's flagship public university and university with the largest student body in the state. The city has 30,347 residents (2020). As the largest city in the northern half of West Virginia, and sitting at the junction of I-79 and I-68, Morgantown serves as a major regional cultural center and hub for business, medicine, shopping and dining.
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 45m. Total distance: 35.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (2%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.9 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway. 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.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through WV can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.2 miles (CR 24 / Meadowbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 29.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Morgantown, WV 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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