Origin
Durham, NC
Morning in Durham on Tuesday
Local time
8:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Durham, NC to West Raleigh, 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
30m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Raleigh, NC
Evgeniia Belman
Trip Overview
Durham to West Raleigh is 22.5 miles and takes about 30m via I 40 and Durham Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within North Carolina, connecting two points in the Southeast region. Given its brevity, it's an easy same-day drive, ideal for a quick commute or a straightforward connection between cities. You won't need to plan for an overnight stay, making it a convenient option for local travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 40 | 8.7 mi | 10m |
| Durham Freeway | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| Wade Avenue | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| Hillsborough Street | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Faircloth Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Dillard Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Pettigrew Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 8.7 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Durham, NC and West Raleigh, 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
8.7 mi
·
10 min
·
I 40
Use the straight lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto SR 1728
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Wade Avenue
Exit 289
Toward Wade Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto Faircloth Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Faircloth Street
11
Turn left onto Hillsborough Street
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
12
Enter roundabout onto Hillsborough Street
73 ft
·
1 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
13
Continue on Hillsborough Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
14
Enter roundabout onto Hillsborough Street
74 ft
·
1 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
15
Continue on Hillsborough Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
16
Enter roundabout onto Hillsborough Street
74 ft
·
1 sec
·
Hillsborough Street
17
Continue on Hillsborough Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Hillsborough Street
18
Turn left onto Enterprise Street
71 ft
·
2 sec
·
Enterprise Street
Use the left lane.
19
Arrive at destination
Enterprise Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 22.5 — 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
8
16.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
SR 1728 / Wade Avenue
Keep slight right at fork onto SR 1728 / Wade Avenue toward Wade Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 289
Toward Wade Avenue
6
22.5 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Enterprise Street
Turn left onto Enterprise Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.52 one way
$7.04 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.85 | $7.69 |
| premium | $4.70 | $4.16 | $8.33 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
West Raleigh, NC
Morning in West Raleigh on Tuesday
Local time
8:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°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
18 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
30m 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 is mostly highway, with 68% of the drive on major roads like I 40 and the Durham Freeway. Expect about 8.7 miles on I 40 without a break. The highway portion likely means you'll encounter frequent exits and merges as you navigate between these parts of North Carolina. The remaining percentage of the drive will be on surface streets, transitioning you into West Raleigh.
68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.7 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and Durham Freeway. 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 14 decision points packed into just 22.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
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.
On the drive from Durham, NC to West Raleigh, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Raleigh along the way.
Raleigh
7.3 mi in
|
~10m
About the Cities
Starting in Durham, NC
Full guide →Founded 1869
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.
Top landmarks
- • Bennett Place State Historic Site — historic site in Durham North Carolina, United States
- • City Garage Yard and Fire Drill Tower — fire drill tower
- • American Tobacco Trail — Rails-to-Trails project located in North Carolina
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 30m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m 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 8.7 miles on I 40. 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 West Raleigh, 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 West Raleigh, 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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