Origin
Gastonia, NC
Late night in Gastonia on Tuesday
Local time
4:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gastonia, NC to Kannapolis, NC
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
57m
Distance
44.1 mi
71 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 53m
★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 1m
5 PM
1h 6m
8 PM
0h 55m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gastonia, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Kannapolis, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 44.1-mile journey from Gastonia, NC, to Kannapolis, NC, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 57 minutes to complete. You'll navigate primarily local roads, indicated by the 0% highway share, with a recommended fuel budget of around $7. The drive offers a turn-heavy local experience, so be prepared for frequent changes in direction. Since it's a relatively short trip, you can easily fit it into your schedule without needing an overnight stay. Both locations are within the Southeast region and the state of North Carolina, making for a straightforward regional exploration.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Morrison Bridge | 30 mi | 35m |
| Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway | 8.2 mi | 10m |
| South Cannon Boulevard | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Dale Earnhardt Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Long Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Franklin Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Ozark Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Broad Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Cameron Morrison Bridge
— 30 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gastonia, NC and Kannapolis, NC.
1
Start on US 29; US 74; NC 274
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
West Franklin Boulevard
2
Turn left onto South Broad Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
South Broad Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto NC 7
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
East Long Avenue
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on NC 7
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Ozark Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 85 North
6
Merge onto I 85
8.2 mi
·
10 min
·
Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on I 85
30 mi
·
35 min
·
Cameron Morrison Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 58
Toward US 29, US 601 South: Kannapolis, Concord, Downtown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward US 29 North: Kannapolis, Landis
Use the left lane.
10
Merge onto US 29
287 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Cannon Boulevard
11
Continue on US 29
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
South Cannon Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto NC 3
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Dale Earnhardt Boulevard
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
13
Turn left onto Ford Street
438 ft
·
21 sec
·
Ford Street
14
Turn right onto Cadillac Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Cadillac Street
15
Arrive at destination
Cadillac Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.1 miles from Gastonia, 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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 44 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
NC 7 / East Long Avenue
Turn right onto NC 7 / East Long Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
2.1 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 85 / Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway
Merge onto I 85 / Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
40.4 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Take the exit toward US 29, US 601 South: Kannapolis, Concord, 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 58
Toward US 29, US 601 South: Kannapolis, Concord...
8
40.8 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 29 North: Kannapolis, Landis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward US 29 North: Kannapolis, Landis
5
44 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
Cadillac Street
Turn right onto Cadillac Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.90 one way
$13.79 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $7.54 | $15.08 |
| premium | $4.70 | $8.16 | $16.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.74 | $19.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.63 | $2.12 |
| Efficient EV | 11 | 0 | $3.86 | $1.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.17 | $2.82 |
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.
Destination
Kannapolis, NC
Late night in Kannapolis on Tuesday
Local time
4:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°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
4 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
57m 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?
Expect a more engaged driving experience on this route, as it's characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive.' With no highway segments, you'll be navigating through local thoroughfares for the entire 44.1 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 30 miles along Cameron Morrison Bridge, offering a brief period of consistent travel before more turns. This type of driving means you'll be interacting with traffic lights and intersections more frequently, so staying alert is key. The road will likely feel like a continuous flow through communities rather than a high-speed transit.
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: 30 mi on Cameron Morrison Bridge.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near NC 7 / East Long Avenue.
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 10 decision points packed into just 44.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (NC 7 / East Long Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 85 / Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 40.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Gastonia, NC and Kannapolis, NC, road signs point toward Concord, Downtown and Landis.
Concord
40.4 mi in
|
~50m
Downtown
40.4 mi in
|
~50m
Landis
40.8 mi in
|
~50m
About the Cities
Arriving in Kannapolis, NC
Full guide →Kannapolis is a city in North Carolina, roughly 15 minutes north of Charlotte by car. It is known primarily as the home of the Earnhardt auto-racing family, and the former home of a large textile industry. It is being revitalized as a bedroom community of Charlotte with a population of over 50,000 residents.
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 57m. Total distance: 44.1 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 30 miles on Cameron Morrison Bridge. 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 Kannapolis, NC 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 0.7 miles (NC 7 / East Long Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 85 / Senator Marshall Arthur Rauch Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 40.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kannapolis, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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