Fairmont to Ansted is 130 miles and takes about 2 hours 30 minutes via Senator Jennings Randolph Highway and US 19, with a fuel budget near $20 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within West Virginia, traversing the Southeast region from start to finish. It's a drive that primarily uses surface roads, offering a more local feel than a pure interstate experience. With only one recommended stop and a manageable duration, it's a straightforward trip for a single day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
64.9 miles from Fairmont, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 11m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
77.6 mi
1h 23m
US 19
35.4 mi
42m
Upper Millcreek Telsa Road
8.6 mi
9m
Midland Trail
5.1 mi
7m
East Main Street
1.1 mi
2m
Fairmont Gateway Connector
0.8 mi
1m
Jefferson Street
0.3 mi
<1m
West Main Street
—
—
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
— 77.6 mi, about 1h 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairmont, WV and Ansted, WV.
Since this drive is under 3 hours, you can easily complete it in one day. Leaving Fairmont in the morning allows for plenty of daylight. You only need one stop, so plan that break strategically along Senator Jennings Randolph Highway. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the estimated cost is $20 and it’s wise to top off before heading out. The flexibility of a shorter drive means you can depart at your leisure.
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 64.9 miles from Fairmont, WV, or about 1h 11m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 77.6 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 29 miles or 33m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 64.9 miles or 1h 11m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ansted, WV than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Fairmont, WV 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 Fairmont, WV
This is one driving day of about 129.9 miles and 2h 30m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 miles from Fairmont, WV.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway for about 77.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 123.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector
Enter roundabout onto WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
0.7 mi into trip|~1m in|WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector
Enter roundabout onto WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
1.1 mi into trip|~2m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
4
79.2 mi into trip|~1h 27m in|US 19
Take the exit onto US 19 toward US 19 South: Beckley
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 19 South: Beckley
5
123.3 mi into trip|~2h 20m in
Take the exit toward US 60: Gauley Bridge, Rainelle
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 60: Gauley Bridge, Rainelle
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$20.31 one way
$40.63 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg45 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$22.21
$44.42
premium
$4.70
$24.04
$48.08
diesel
$5.61
$28.68
$57.36
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 45.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
39
0
$13.64
$6.24
Efficient EV
32.5
0
$11.37
$5.20
EV Truck/SUV
52
0
$18.19
$8.31
Gas CO2
45 kg
EV CO2
15 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.
Forecast as of Apr 19, 2026
Origin
Fairmont, WV
Morning
in Fairmont on Sunday
Local time
8:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Rain Showers Likely
NW 7 to 13 mph55% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Ansted, WV
Morning
in Ansted on Sunday
Local time
8:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 30m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is mostly surface roads, with just 27% of the drive on highways. You'll experience a 77.6-mile stretch on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, which is the longest continuous section. After that, you transition to surface roads like US 19, so expect more local traffic and varying speed limits as you get closer to Ansted.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 77.6 mi on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 30m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.7 miles (WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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 Fairmont, WV to Ansted, WV, road signs begin pointing toward Rainelle along the way.
Fairmont, nicknamed the "Friendly City", is a city of 18,313 people (as of 2020) in West Virginia, and the county seat of Marion County (pop. 56,000). It was established in 1820 as Middletown, and changed in 1843 to Fairmont, short for "Fair Mountain". The city is located on the Monongahela River at its origin at the confluence of the Tygart Valley River flowing northwest from Grafton, and the West Fork River flowing north from Clarksburg. Fairmont claims to be the origin of the Pepperoni Roll, West Virginia's official state food. Mary Lou Retton — a gold-medalist gymnast in the 1984 Olympics, who was highly popular around the country and particularly in West Virginia — came from Fairmont.
The longest stretch is about 77.6 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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 0.5 miles (WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.7 miles (WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.1 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 Ansted, WV before heading back.
