This 89.5-mile drive from Fairmont to Follansbee, West Virginia, is a manageable one-day trip, estimated to take about 1 hour and 54 minutes. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with no highway driving on this particular route. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $14. Given the relatively short duration and the nature of the drive, it's well-suited for a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. Both your origin and destination are within the Southeast region of West Virginia, so you'll be staying within familiar territory.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
44.7 miles from Fairmont, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 52m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
61.9 mi
1h 8m
Washington Pike
18 mi
26m
Commerce Street
4 mi
6m
Jefferson Avenue
1.5 mi
3m
East Main Street
1.1 mi
1m
East Park Avenue
1 mi
2m
10th Street
0.5 mi
<1m
Grafton Road
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
— 61.9 mi, about 1h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairmont, WV and Follansbee, WV.
Exit 17Toward PA 18: Jefferson AvenueUse the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto East Wylie Avenue
0.1 mi·28 sec·East Wylie Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto PA 18
1.5 mi·3 min·Jefferson Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Continue on PA 844
8.0 mi·11 min·Washington Pike
11
Continue on PA 844
1.1 mi·1 min·East Main Street
12
Continue on PA 844
10 mi·14 min·Washington Pike
13
Turn straight onto WV 27
0.5 mi·48 sec·10th Street
14
Turn right onto WV 2
4.0 mi·6 min·Commerce Street
15
Arrive at destination
WV 2
Trip Plan
With a total duration of under two hours, this 89.5-mile trip from Fairmont to Follansbee offers plenty of flexibility. You can easily complete it in a single day, so consider leaving mid-morning to avoid early rush hour traffic. Given the local road nature, pay close attention to speed limits and posted signs, especially as you navigate through towns. The $14 fuel cost is modest, but it's always wise to start with a full tank. A good tip for this route is to use your GPS or navigation app actively, as the frequent turns might make it easy to miss a required exit onto one of the connecting local roads.
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 44.7 miles from Fairmont, WV, or about 52m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 61.9 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 20 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 44.7 miles or 52m 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 33m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Follansbee, 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.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Fairmont, WV
This is one driving day of about 89.5 miles and 1h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Fairmont, WV.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway for about 61.9 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 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.1 and 85.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.1 mi into trip|~5m in|I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
Merge onto I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
64 mi into trip|~1h 14m in
Take the exit toward PA 18: Jefferson Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 17
Toward PA 18: Jefferson Avenue
7
64.3 mi into trip|~1h 15m in|East Wylie Avenue
Turn right onto East Wylie Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
64.4 mi into trip|~1h 15m in|PA 18 / Jefferson Avenue
Turn right onto PA 18 / Jefferson Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
85.5 mi into trip|~1h 47m in|WV 2 / Commerce Street
Turn right onto WV 2 / Commerce Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.00 one way
$27.99 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg31 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$15.30
$30.61
premium
$4.70
$16.56
$33.13
diesel
$5.61
$19.76
$39.52
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$14
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$39–$64
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 31.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
26.8
0
$9.40
$4.30
Efficient EV
22.4
0
$7.83
$3.58
EV Truck/SUV
35.8
0
$12.53
$5.73
Gas CO2
31 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (68% 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 16, 2026
Origin
Fairmont, WV
Morning
in Fairmont on Sunday
Local time
6:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Follansbee, WV
Morning
in Follansbee on Sunday
Local time
6:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°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
2 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
1h 54m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a "turn-heavy local drive" for the entirety of this 89.5-mile journey, as the highway share is 0%. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 61.9 miles along Senator Jennings Randolph Highway. This indicates a route that likely involves frequent changes in direction and potentially slower speeds as you pass through various communities. You'll be on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, Washington Pike, and Commerce Street, suggesting a mix of main local arteries and potentially more residential or business-focused roads as you approach your destination.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 61.9 mi on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 2.1 miles in near I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Fairmont, WV to Follansbee, WV is easy. At 1h 54m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.1 miles (I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 64 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 64.3 miles (East Wylie Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 61.9 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 2.1 miles (I 79 / Senator Jennings Randolph Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 64 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 64.3 miles (East Wylie Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Follansbee, WV before heading back.
