Origin
Durham, NC
Late night in Durham on Tuesday
Local time
5:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Durham, NC to Rockingham, NC
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 5m
Distance
104.2 mi
168 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$16
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 57m
★
6 AM
2h 5m
8 AM
2h 23m
10 AM
2h 12m
12 PM
2h 10m
3 PM
2h 13m
5 PM
2h 22m
8 PM
2h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockingham, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Durham, NC to Rockingham, NC is 104.2 miles and takes about 2h 5m via US 1 and Jefferson Davis Highway, with a fuel budget near $16 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within North Carolina, traversing the Southeast region. The drive primarily uses US 1, also known as Jefferson Davis Highway, offering a straightforward path between these two cities. With a highway share of 62%, you'll spend a good portion of your time on faster-paced roads, making this a relatively quick connection for a single-day trip.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
52.1 miles from Durham, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 2m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 1 | 43.5 mi | 53m |
| Jefferson Davis Highway | 23 mi | 27m |
| Triangle Expressway | 14.6 mi | 15m |
| Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway | 13.1 mi | 14m |
| Durham Freeway | 6.7 mi | 8m |
| East Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Washington Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Dillard Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 1
— 43.5 mi, about 53m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Durham, NC and Rockingham, 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
6.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Durham Freeway
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on NC 885 Toll
3.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Triangle Expressway
Toward NC 885 Toll South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward NC 540 Toll South: Sanford
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on NC 540 Toll
11 mi
·
11 min
·
Triangle Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 56B
Toward US 1 South: Sanford
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto US 1
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway
12
Continue on US 1
23 mi
·
27 min
·
Jefferson Davis Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
46 sec
14
Merge onto US 1
44 mi
·
53 min
·
US 1
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn straight onto US 1
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
East Washington Street
16
Arrive at destination
West Washington Street
Trip Plan
For this 2h 5m drive, you can easily complete it in one day. Leaving Durham in the morning gives you ample time to reach Rockingham with daylight to spare. Since it's a shorter trip, you have flexibility; consider leaving mid-morning to avoid peak rush hour. There are no specific stops recommended, so you can plan your breaks as needed, perhaps around the halfway point. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is around $16, and plan your refueling accordingly, especially before heading out.
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.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 52.1 miles from Durham, NC, or about 1h 2m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 43.5 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 23 miles or 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 52.1 miles or 1h 2m 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 42m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Rockingham, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Durham, NC 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 Durham, NC
This is one driving day of about 104.2 miles and 2h 5m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 23 miles from Durham, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 1 for about 43.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
52 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 23 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 52.1 miles from Durham, NC, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 22.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South Dillard Street
Turn right onto South Dillard Street
Navigation decision point
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.
7
11.1 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NC 540 Toll South: Sanford
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward NC 540 Toll South: Sanford
7
22.8 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward US 1 South: Sanford
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 56B
Toward US 1 South: Sanford
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.29 one way
$32.59 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
37 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $17.82 | $35.63 |
| premium | $4.70 | $19.29 | $38.57 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $23.01 | $46.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$41–$66
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 36.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 31.3 | 0 | $10.94 | $5.00 |
| Efficient EV | 26.1 | 0 | $9.12 | $4.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 41.7 | 0 | $14.59 | $6.67 |
Gas CO2
36 kg
EV CO2
12 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
Rockingham, NC
Late night in Rockingham on Tuesday
Local time
5:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
79°F
Sanford, NC
52 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
16 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
2h 5m 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 route features 62% highway driving, meaning you'll experience a good amount of time on higher-speed roads. The longest continuous stretch on the highway is 43.5 miles on US 1. You can expect to transition between highway segments and surface roads as you navigate the 104.2 miles. As you get closer to Rockingham, you might notice more local traffic and intersections as the highway sections conclude.
62% 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: 43.5 mi on US 1.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 1 and Jefferson Davis Highway. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near South Dillard Street.
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 104.2 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.2 miles (South Dillard Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Fayetteville Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
494 ft
219 ft
Total Climb
591 ft
Total Descent
711 ft
Highest Point
494 ft
~52.1 mi in
Elevation Range
275 ft
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.
Arriving in Rockingham, NC
Full guide →Founded 1784
Rockingham is a city in North Carolina.
Top landmarks
- • U. S. Post Office and Federal Building — building in Rockingham, North Carolina, United States
- • Bank of Pee Dee Building — building in Rockingham, United States of America
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 2h 5m. Total distance: 104.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 43.5 miles on US 1. 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 Rockingham, NC before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (South Dillard Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Fayetteville Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rockingham, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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