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Trip from Forest City, NC to Gastonia, NC

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

57m

Distance

42.2 mi

68 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 53m ★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States

Forest City, NC

Wikimedia Commons

city in North Carolina, United States

Gastonia, NC

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning a quick excursion through the Southeast, the 42.2-mile journey from Forest City to Gastonia is a straightforward local transit. Expect to spend about 57 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will navigate primarily via West Dixon Boulevard, the Solon David Smart Memorial Highway, and the Senator J. Ollie Harris Highway. With a fuel budget of just $7, it is an economical choice for travelers moving between these two North Carolina towns. Because this is a compact route, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your schedule around your own pace.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
West Dixon Boulevard 12.4 mi 17m
Solon David Smart Memorial Highway 11.7 mi 13m
Senator J. Ollie Harris Highway 6.8 mi 7m
West Franklin Boulevard 4.2 mi 6m
Kings Mountain Highway 3.4 mi 5m
Andrew Jackson Highway 1.8 mi 2m
South Broadway Street 1.4 mi 3m
East Main Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: West Dixon Boulevard — 12.4 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Forest City, NC and Gastonia, NC.

1

Start on Cherry Mountain Street

54 ft · 3 sec · Cherry Mountain Street
2

Turn left onto US 74 Business; US 221A

0.2 mi · 53 sec · East Main Street
3

Turn right onto US 221A

1.4 mi · 3 min · South Broadway Street
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 22 sec
5

Merge onto US 74

12 mi · 13 min · Solon David Smart Memorial Highway
6

Take the exit onto US 74

12 mi · 17 min · West Dixon Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
7

Continue on US 74

1.8 mi · 2 min · Andrew Jackson Highway
8

Continue on US 74

6.8 mi · 7 min · Senator J. Ollie Harris Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Turn straight onto US 74

3.4 mi · 5 min · Kings Mountain Highway
10

Continue on US 29; US 74

4.2 mi · 6 min · West Franklin Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
11

Arrive at destination

US 29; US 74; NC 274

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Pasquotank County and Camden County, North Carolina, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Elizabeth City, NC

21 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

South Gastonia, NC

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Hollyoak Apartments, NC

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.1 miles from Forest City, NC, 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 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 74 Business; US 221A / East Main Street

Turn left onto US 74 Business; US 221A / East Main Street

Navigation decision point

4
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 221A / South Broadway Street

Turn right onto US 221A / South Broadway Street

Navigation decision point

3
1.6 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

3
1.8 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 74 / Solon David Smart Memorial Highway

Merge onto US 74 / Solon David Smart Memorial Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining

5
13.5 mi into trip | ~18m in | US 74 / West Dixon Boulevard

Take the exit onto US 74 / West Dixon Boulevard

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.60 one way

$13.20 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.34 $7.22 $14.43
premium $4.70 $7.81 $15.62
diesel $5.61 $9.32 $18.63

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.7 0 $4.43 $2.03
Efficient EV 10.6 0 $3.69 $1.69
EV Truck/SUV 16.9 0 $5.91 $2.70

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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 12, 2026

Origin

Forest City, NC

Late night in Forest City on Sunday

Local time

12:27 AM

EDT

Current temp

54°F

Mostly Clear

N 3 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued April 11 at 7:52PM EDT until April 12 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC

Destination

Gastonia, NC

Late night in Gastonia on Sunday

Local time

12:27 AM

EDT

Current temp

55°F

Mostly Clear

NNE 2 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Beach Hazards Statement

Beach Hazards Statement issued April 11 at 7:52PM EDT until April 12 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC

55°F

Elizabeth City, NC

21 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

1 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

57m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged rather than lulled into a highway trance. Since this route maintains a 0% highway share, you will spend the entire trip on local roads rather than high-speed interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 12.4-mile segment along West Dixon Boulevard. Navigating these secondary roads requires a bit more focus, as the route winds through the local landscape instead of offering a monotonous, straight-line path. Expect a hands-on driving experience that prioritizes local connectivity over rapid transit.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.4 mi on West Dixon Boulevard.

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 74 Business; US 221A / East Main Street.

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 57m drive. You will face about 5 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 74 Business; US 221A / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 221A / South Broadway Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles: Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,014 ft 760 ft

Total Climb

441 ft

Total Descent

652 ft

Highest Point

1,014 ft

Elevation Range

255 ft

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 57m. Total distance: 42.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

57m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 12.4 miles on West Dixon Boulevard. 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.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 74 Business; US 221A / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 221A / South Broadway Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles: Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Gastonia, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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