Origin
Fairmont, WV
Afternoon in Fairmont on Friday
Local time
4:19 PM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fairmont, WV to Summersville, WV
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 2m
Distance
107.6 mi
173 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$16
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 54m
★
6 AM
2h 3m
8 AM
2h 20m
10 AM
2h 9m
12 PM
2h 7m
3 PM
2h 10m
5 PM
2h 19m
8 PM
1h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fairmont, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Summersville, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Fairmont, WV to Summersville, WV covers 107.6 miles and takes about 2h 2m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, US 19, Upper Millcreek Telsa Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 77.6 miles on Senator Jennings Randolph Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.49 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
53.8 miles from Fairmont, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 59m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Jennings Randolph Highway | 77.6 mi | 1h 23m |
| US 19 | 18 mi | 21m |
| Upper Millcreek Telsa Road | 8.6 mi | 9m |
| Webster Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Fairmont Gateway Connector | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Jefferson Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Webster Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
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 Summersville, WV.
1
Start on Jefferson Street
0.3 mi
·
59 sec
·
Jefferson Street
2
Continue on WV 273
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
3
Enter roundabout onto WV 273
129 ft
·
3 sec
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
4
Continue on WV 273
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
5
Enter roundabout onto WV 273
128 ft
·
3 sec
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
6
Continue on WV 273
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
8
Merge onto I 79
78 mi
·
1 hr 23 min
·
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
9
Take the exit onto US 19
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
US 19
Toward US 19 South: Beckley
10
Keep slight left at fork
318 ft
·
8 sec
11
Turn right onto Upper Millcreek Telsa Road
8.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Upper Millcreek Telsa Road
12
Continue on US 19
18 mi
·
21 min
·
US 19
13
Turn right onto CR 19/11
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
West Webster Road
14
At end of road, turn left onto WV 41
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Webster Road
15
Turn right onto WV 41
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Main Street
16
Arrive at destination
WV 39
Trip Plan
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 53.8 miles from Fairmont, WV, or about 59m 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 24 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 53.8 miles or 59m 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 38m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Summersville, 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 107.6 miles and 2h 2m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 24 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 77.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
54 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 24 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 53.8 miles from Fairmont, WV, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Senator Jennings Randolph Highway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 77.6 miles.
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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 79.5 — 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
4
79.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 27m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.49 one way
$32.97 round trip
$3.89/gal
25.4 MPG avg
38 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.27 | $18.09 | $36.19 |
| premium | $4.64 | $19.64 | $39.29 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $23.72 | $47.44 |
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: 37.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 32.3 | 0 | $11.30 | $5.16 |
| Efficient EV | 26.9 | 0 | $9.42 | $4.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 43 | 0 | $15.06 | $6.89 |
Gas CO2
38 kg
EV CO2
13 kg (66% 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
Summersville, WV
Afternoon in Summersville on Friday
Local time
4:19 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
64°F
Glenville, WV
54 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
1 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 2m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Gauley River National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
The 25 miles of free-flowing Gauley River and the six miles of the Meadow River pass through scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide variety of natural and cultural features. The Gauley River cont...
10 mi from route
~24 min detour
Free
near mile 107.6
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
107.6 mi in 2h 2m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 17% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 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?
3/10
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 Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 2m 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.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,926 ft
800 ft
Total Climb
1,613 ft
Total Descent
723 ft
Highest Point
1,926 ft
~99.9 mi in
Elevation Range
1,126 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Fairmont, WV
Full guide →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.
Top landmarks
- • Fairmont Senior High School — high school in West Virginia, United States
- • Robert H. Mollohan-Jefferson Street Bridge — bridge in Fairmont, West Virginia, United States
- • Masonic Temple — commercial building in Fairmont, United States of America
Arriving in Summersville, WV
Full guide →Founded 1824
Summersville is a town of 3,300 people (as of 2019) in West Virginia. Summersville is adjacent to Summersville Lake, the largest lake in West Virginia.
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 2m. Total distance: 107.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (17%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
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, 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 — Gauley River National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Summersville, WV 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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