Origin
Fernley, NV
Morning in Fernley on Wednesday
Local time
10:37 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fernley, NV to Carson City, NV
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 7m
Distance
49.7 mi
80 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fernley, NV
Wikimedia Commons
Carson City, NV
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Fernley, NV to Carson City, NV is 49.7 miles and takes about 1h 7m via California Emigrant Trail and US 50 ALT, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Nevada, connecting two points in the Mountain West region. You'll primarily be on surface roads, making it a straightforward trip. It's a good option if you're looking for a quick transit between these two locations without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| California Emigrant Trail | 21.2 mi | 25m |
| US 50 ALT | 14.1 mi | 18m |
| Lincoln Highway | 12.3 mi | 18m |
| East William Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| North Stewart Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Musser Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Carson Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
California Emigrant Trail
— 21.2 mi, about 25m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 10 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,077 veh/hr typical · worst 3,550
Quietest
2 AM
~182 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 90 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fernley, NV and Carson City, NV.
1
Start on I 80 BUS; NV 427
242 ft
·
15 sec
·
West Main Street
2
Turn right onto US 50 ALT; US 95 ALT
14 mi
·
18 min
·
US 50 ALT; US 95 ALT
3
Enter roundabout onto US 50
75 ft
·
1 sec
·
California Emigrant Trail
4
Continue on US 50
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
California Emigrant Trail
5
Enter roundabout onto US 50
127 ft
·
1 sec
·
California Emigrant Trail
6
Continue on US 50
19 mi
·
22 min
·
California Emigrant Trail
7
Continue on US 50
12 mi
·
18 min
·
Lincoln Highway
8
Continue on US 50
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
East William Street
9
Take the exit onto US 50
160 ft
·
2 sec
·
US 50
Toward I 580 South, US 395 South, US 50 West: Minden, Gardnerville, South Lake Tahoe
10
Turn right
170 ft
·
2 sec
Exit 39
Toward Downtown Carson City
11
Turn straight onto East William Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
East William Street
Toward Downtown Carson City
12
Turn left onto North Stewart Street
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
North Stewart Street
13
Turn right onto East Musser Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
East Musser Street
14
Turn left onto US 395 BUS
284 ft
·
8 sec
·
North Carson Street
Use the left lane.
15
Arrive at destination
US 395 BUS
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.8 miles from Fernley, NV, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 49.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 50 ALT; US 95 ALT
Turn right onto US 50 ALT; US 95 ALT
Navigation decision point
4
14.2 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
US 50 / California Emigrant Trail
Enter roundabout onto US 50 / California Emigrant Trail
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
47.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
US 50
Take the exit onto US 50 toward I 580 South, US 395 South, US 50 West: Minden, Gardnerville, South Lake Tahoe
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 580 South, US 395 South, US 50 West: M...
6
47.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Turn right toward Downtown Carson City
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Exit 39
Toward Downtown Carson City
7
49.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
|
US 395 BUS / North Carson Street
Turn left onto US 395 BUS / North Carson Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.63 one way
$19.27 round trip
$4.92/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.20 | $10.18 | $20.36 |
| premium | $5.44 | $10.64 | $21.28 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $10.96 | $21.91 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.22 | $2.39 |
| Efficient EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.9 | 0 | $6.96 | $3.18 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Carson City, NV
Morning in Carson City on Wednesday
Local time
10:37 AM
PDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
51°F
Dayton, NV
25 mi in
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
6 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
1h 7m 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 drive covers 49.7 miles, with 28% on highways. You'll experience about 14 miles of highway driving before transitioning to surface roads. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 21.2 miles along the California Emigrant Trail. Expect mostly surface road cruising, which means you'll likely notice more local traffic and intersections as you get closer to your destination.
Only 28% 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: 21.2 mi on California Emigrant Trail.
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 early in the drive near US 50 ALT; US 95 ALT.
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 1h 7m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 50 ALT; US 95 ALT): Navigation decision point; at 14.2 miles (US 50 / California Emigrant Trail): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 47.7 miles (US 50): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
4,869 ft
4,154 ft
Total Climb
1,385 ft
Total Descent
861 ft
Highest Point
4,869 ft
~42.6 mi in
Elevation Range
715 ft
Notable High Points
4,584 ft at ~7.1 miles
+20 ft prominence
4,446 ft at ~21.3 miles
+100 ft prominence
4,411 ft at ~28.4 miles
+70 ft prominence
4,869 ft at ~42.6 miles
+249 ft prominence
About the Cities
Starting in Fernley, NV
Full guide →Founded 1904
Fernley is a city in Nevada located along Interstate 80 about 30 miles east of Reno. Fernley was best known in the United States as "that place most Amazon.com stuff ships from" due to the large depot the town had before Amazon moved their operations to Reno itself.
Top landmarks
- • Fernley and Lassen Railway Depot — railway station in Fernley, the United States of America
Arriving in Carson City, NV
Full guide →Founded 1858
Nevada's capital, Carson City is located along the eastern front of the Sierra Nevada, in the Eagle Valley, just east of Lake Tahoe, south of Reno, and north of Douglas County and the Carson Valley communities of Minden, Gardnerville, and Genoa. The Carson River flows through the southeast corner of the city. With a population approaching 60,000 (2020), Carson City is a picturesque, evolving destination with central access to the outdoors as well as larger and smaller communities nearby.
Top landmarks
- • Nevada State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Nevada
- • Wabuska Railroad Station — railway station in Carson City, the United States of America
- • Virginia and Truckee Railroad 18 “Dayton” — preserved American 4-4-0 locomotive
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 1h 7m. Total distance: 49.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (28%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.2 miles on California Emigrant Trail. 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 NV 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: near the start (US 50 ALT; US 95 ALT): Navigation decision point; at 14.2 miles (US 50 / California Emigrant Trail): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 47.7 miles (US 50): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Carson City, NV 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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