Origin
High Point, NC
Late night in High Point on Tuesday
Local time
4:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from High Point, NC to King, 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
49m
Distance
34.8 mi
56 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
King, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to head from High Point to King, you are looking at a manageable 34.8-mile journey that typically takes about 49 minutes. Because this trip is short, it works perfectly as a straightforward day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You will primarily navigate via I-40 West, US-52 North, and the John Gold Memorial Expressway to reach your destination. With a modest fuel budget of just $5, this route is an affordable way to travel between these two North Carolina locations. Both cities are situated within the Southeast, keeping the travel environment consistent throughout your drive.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John Gold Memorial Expressway | 16.2 mi | 20m |
| I 74 | 9.6 mi | 11m |
| South Main Street | 5.4 mi | 11m |
| I 40 | 2 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
John Gold Memorial Expressway
— 16.2 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between High Point, NC and King, NC.
1
Start on South Main Street
3.9 mi
·
8 min
·
South Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Continue on this road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Merge onto I 74
8.6 mi
·
9 min
·
I 74
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight left at fork onto I 74
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
I 74
Toward I 40 West: Winston-Salem, Statesville
5
Merge onto I 40
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
I 40
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward US 52 North: Mount Airy
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto US 52; NC 8
16 mi
·
20 min
·
John Gold Memorial Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Toward King, Tobaccoville
9
Turn right onto South Main Street
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
South Main Street
10
Arrive at destination
North Main Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.4 miles from High Point, 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 4.8 and 33 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
4.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 74
Merge onto I 74
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
13.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
I 74
Keep slight left at fork onto I 74 toward I 40 West: Winston-Salem, Statesville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 40 West: Winston-Salem, Statesville
6
16.4 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward US 52 North: Mount Airy
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 52 North: Mount Airy
5
16.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
US 52; NC 8 / John Gold Memorial Expressway
Merge onto US 52; NC 8 / John Gold Memorial Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
33 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward King, Tobaccoville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward King, Tobaccoville
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.44 one way
$10.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $5.95 | $11.90 |
| premium | $4.70 | $6.44 | $12.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.68 | $15.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.2 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 | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
| Efficient EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.04 | $1.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.23 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
King, NC
Late night in King on Tuesday
Local time
4:46 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°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
24 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
49m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate grind. While the route utilizes major thoroughfares, it lacks long, uninterrupted stretches of highway, meaning you will need to stay alert for transitions between roads. Since the highway share is 0%, the experience is defined by local navigation rather than sustained high-speed cruising. You won't find yourself locked into a single lane for long, so prepare for a drive that requires more active steering and attention to road signs. The road feels like a typical regional connection, shifting through various local traffic patterns as you move toward King.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.2 mi on John Gold Memorial Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on John Gold Memorial Expressway and I 74. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.8 miles in near I 74.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 34.8 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.8 miles (I 74): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.5 miles (I 74): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
Between High Point, NC and King, NC, road signs point toward Statesville and Tobaccoville.
Statesville
13.5 mi in
|
~20m
|
via I 74
Tobaccoville
33 mi in
|
~45m
About the Cities
Starting in High Point, NC
Full guide →High Point is part of the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina, along with Greensboro and Winston-Salem. High Point is often referred to as the furniture capital of the world due not only to the large number of furniture manufactures in the area, but also because of the International Home Furnishings Markets held each spring and fall. Over 8 million square feet of showroom space is used to draw over 70,000 people from all over the world to each market. This nearly doubles the population of High Point resulting in an economic boom to the entire Triad Area as hotel and motel rooms sell out and many residents rent out rooms, floors, or even their entire home for all or part of the 7 to 10 days during the market period.
Top landmarks
- • Highland Cotton Mills Village Historic District — historic district in High Point, North Carolina
- • Pickett Cotton Mills — historic industrial property at 1200 Redding Drive in southwestern High Point, N...
Arriving in King, NC
Full guide →King is a city in Stokes County, North Carolina and is basically a commuter town in the Winston-Salem area.
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 49m. Total distance: 34.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.2 miles on John Gold Memorial 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 King, 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 4.8 miles (I 74): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.5 miles (I 74): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at King, 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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