Origin
Durham, NC
Late night in Durham on Sunday
Local time
3:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Durham, NC to Morrisville, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
14.9 mi
24 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Morrisville, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning just 14.9 miles, this quick trip from Durham to Morrisville, North Carolina, is a straightforward connector within the Southeast region. You can easily complete the drive in about 21 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day journey. With fuel costs estimated at a modest $2, it is an incredibly economical route to navigate. Since both cities are located within the same region, you won't experience drastic shifts in landscape or culture, keeping the travel time minimal. Whether you are commuting for business or heading out for a short visit, this transit requires no overnight stops. It is a practical, no-frills drive that gets you from point A to point B with maximum efficiency.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Durham Freeway | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| I 40 | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Airport Boulevard | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Chapel Hill Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Dillard Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Pettigrew Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Fayetteville Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Durham Freeway
— 6.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Durham, NC and Morrisville, NC.
1
Start on East Main Street
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
East Main Street
2
Turn right onto South Dillard Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Dillard Street
3
Turn left onto East Pettigrew Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
East Pettigrew Street
4
Turn right onto Fayetteville Road
472 ft
·
21 sec
·
Fayetteville Road
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto NC 147
6.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Durham Freeway
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
Exit 5A
Toward I 40 East: RDU Airport, Raleigh
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
8
Merge onto I 40
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
I 40
Use the straight lane.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 284A
Toward Airport Boulevard West
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
294 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Airport Boulevard West
Use the right lane.
11
Turn straight onto Airport Boulevard
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Airport Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
At end of road, turn left onto NC 54
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Chapel Hill Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn slight right
16 ft
·
0 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 11.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Fayetteville Road
Turn right onto Fayetteville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
7.3 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward I 40 East: RDU Airport, Raleigh
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 5A
Toward I 40 East: RDU Airport, Raleigh
7
11.7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward Airport Boulevard West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 284A
Toward Airport Boulevard West
8
11.9 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Airport Boulevard West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward Airport Boulevard West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.33 one way
$4.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.55 | $5.10 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.76 | $5.52 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.29 | $6.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.72 |
| Efficient EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.30 | $0.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6 | 0 | $2.09 | $0.95 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Morrisville, NC
Late night in Morrisville on Sunday
Local time
3:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
21m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience as you transition between these two North Carolina hubs. Roughly 68% of your journey is spent on major thoroughfares, including the Durham Freeway, I-40, and Airport Boulevard. You will encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch along the Durham Freeway, which spans 6.5 miles of the total distance. The personality of this drive is functional and fast-paced, prioritizing speed over scenic detours. Because it is a short, interstate-heavy route, you will spend most of your time maintaining highway speeds rather than navigating winding local roads.
68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.5 mi on Durham Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Durham Freeway and I 40. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near Fayetteville Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 14.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Fayetteville Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Durham, NC and Morrisville, NC, road signs point toward Raleigh and Airport Boulevard West.
Raleigh
7.3 mi in
|
~10m
Airport Boulevard West
11.7 mi in
|
~15m
About the Cities
Starting in Durham, NC
Full guide →Of the three cities that make up North Carolina's Research Triangle, Durham has traditionally been the one with the grittier, more working-class image. A city of just over 300,000 residents in 2026, Durham has moved beyond a "tobacco town" with a prestigious university at its center to become a regionally and nationally recognized symbol of urban renewal, gentrification, technology and diversity. Durham's vibrant African-American community was historically pioneering in United States Black culture, from the arts to finance. These days, the tobacco warehouses and textile mills have been converted to other uses, as Durham has taken on a much more high-profile (and expensive) identity. Thanks to local anchor Duke University, a thriving, research-driven medical and tech industry has taken root.
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 21m. Total distance: 14.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.5 miles on Durham Freeway. 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 Morrisville, 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: at 0.5 miles (Fayetteville Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Morrisville, 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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