Origin
Forestdale, AL
Late night in Forestdale on Sunday
Local time
5:08 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Forestdale, AL to Vestavia Hills, AL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
14.1 mi
23 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Forestdale, AL
Lauri Poldre
Vestavia Hills, AL
Kelly
Trip Overview
Forestdale to Vestavia Hills is 14.1 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Red Mountain Expressway and I-20, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short hop within Alabama, connecting two spots in the Southeast region. You'll mostly be on major roadways, so expect a straightforward drive. It's a convenient connection for local travel or as a brief segment within a larger journey, easily completed in under half an hour.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Red Mountain Expressway | 3 mi | 3m |
| I 20 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Forestdale Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Montgomery Highway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Bankhead Highway West | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Independence Drive | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Arkadelphia Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Heflin Avenue East | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Red Mountain Expressway
— 3 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Forestdale, AL and Vestavia Hills, AL.
1
Start on Heflin Avenue East
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Heflin Avenue East
2
Turn left onto US 78; AL 5
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Forestdale Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Continue on US 78; AL 5
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Bankhead Highway West
Use the straight lane.
4
Continue on US 78; AL 5
0.5 mi
·
47 sec
·
Arkadelphia Road
Use the straight lane.
5
Continue on US 78; AL 5
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Arkadelphia Road
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I-20 East, I-59 North: Downtown
7
Merge onto I 20; I 59
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
I 20; I 59
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 126A
Toward US 31, US 280: Carraway Boulevard, Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 31 South, US 280 East
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto US 31; US 280
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Red Mountain Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on US 31
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Independence Drive
12
Continue on US 31
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Montgomery Highway
13
Turn left onto Tyson Drive
380 ft
·
22 sec
·
Tyson Drive
14
Turn right onto Tremont Drive
187 ft
·
11 sec
·
Tremont Drive
15
Turn left
142 ft
·
10 sec
16
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 7.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 78; AL 5 / Forestdale Boulevard
Turn left onto US 78; AL 5 / Forestdale Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
4.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I-20 East, I-59 North: Downtown
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I-20 East, I-59 North: Downtown
5
5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 20; I 59
Merge onto I 20; I 59
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
7.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward US 31, US 280: Carraway Boulevard, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 126A
Toward US 31, US 280: Carraway Boulevard, Downt...
8
7.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 31 South, US 280 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward US 31 South, US 280 East
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.13 one way
$4.26 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $2.34 | $4.68 |
| premium | $4.56 | $2.53 | $5.06 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.11 | $6.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.48 | $0.68 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.23 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Vestavia Hills, AL
Late night in Vestavia Hills on Sunday
Local time
5:08 AM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
22m 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 offers a mixed experience, with 39% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on Forestdale Boulevard before merging onto the Red Mountain Expressway and I-20. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is about 3 miles on the Red Mountain Expressway. Expect a blend of quicker highway driving and potentially some local road segments as you transition between these main arteries. The character shifts as you move from surface streets to the higher-speed environment of the interstate.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3 mi on Red Mountain Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near US 78; AL 5 / Forestdale Boulevard.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 14.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 78; AL 5 / Forestdale Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles (I 20; I 59): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Forestdale, AL to Vestavia Hills, AL, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
Downtown
7.5 mi in
|
~12m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 14.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3 miles on Red Mountain Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Vestavia Hills, AL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: at 0.2 miles (US 78; AL 5 / Forestdale Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles (I 20; I 59): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. 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 Vestavia Hills, AL 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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