Spanning 100.6 miles across North Carolina’s Southeast region, this trip from High Point to Valdese typically takes about 2 hours and 1 minute. It is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, allowing you to reach your destination without the need for an overnight stay. With a estimated fuel cost of $16, the journey remains budget-friendly for a quick getaway. You will primarily navigate via I-40 West before transitioning onto local roads like Abees Grove Church Road. Whether you are heading out for business or a change of scenery, the straightforward nature of this route makes it a reliable choice for your travel plans.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
50.3 miles from High Point, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 2m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 40
84.6 mi
1h 36m
I 74
9.6 mi
11m
South Main Street
3.9 mi
8m
Carolina Street Southeast
1 mi
2m
Abees Grove Church Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Massel Avenue Southeast
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 40
— 84.6 mi, about 1h 36m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between High Point, NC and Valdese, 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
85 mi·1 hr 36 min·I 40
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi·15 sec
Exit 111Toward Valdese
7
Turn left onto Abees Grove Church Road
0.2 mi·28 sec·Abees Grove Church Road
8
Turn slight right onto Carolina Street Southeast
1.0 mi·2 min·Carolina Street Southeast
9
Turn left onto Massel Avenue Southeast
0.2 mi·27 sec·Massel Avenue Southeast
10
Arrive at destination
Massel Avenue Southeast
Trip Plan
Given the 2-hour and 1-minute duration, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure around your personal schedule. Fill up your tank before you leave High Point to keep your costs near the $16 estimate and avoid unnecessary stops. Since the route involves navigating Abees Grove Church Road and other local streets, consider timing your arrival for daylight hours to make these turns easier to manage. You do not need to worry about splitting the trip into multiple days, so use the time saved to enjoy the destination. Pay close attention to your GPS when transitioning off the main highway, as local roads can be more complex to navigate than the interstate.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 50.3 miles from High Point, NC, or about 1h 2m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 84.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 22 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 50.3 miles or 1h 2m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 39m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Valdese, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving High Point, NC so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from High Point, NC
This is one driving day of about 100.6 miles and 2h 1m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 22 miles from High Point, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 40 for about 84.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 4.8 and 99.2 — 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
5
14.5 mi into trip|~22m in|I 40
Merge onto I 40
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
99.1 mi into trip|~1h 58m in
Take the exit toward Valdese
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 111
Toward Valdese
4
99.2 mi into trip|~1h 58m in|Abees Grove Church Road
Turn left onto Abees Grove Church Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.73 one way
$31.46 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg35 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$17.20
$34.40
premium
$4.70
$18.62
$37.24
diesel
$5.61
$22.21
$44.42
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$41–$66
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 35.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
30.2
0
$10.56
$4.83
Efficient EV
25.2
0
$8.80
$4.02
EV Truck/SUV
40.2
0
$14.08
$6.44
Gas CO2
35 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (66% 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 17, 2026
Origin
High Point, NC
Late night
in High Point on Sunday
Local time
12:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Valdese, NC
Late night
in Valdese on Sunday
Local time
12:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
55°F
Mocksville, NC
50 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
10 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
2h 1m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate grind. While the route incorporates I-40 West, you will find that the personality of the road shifts significantly as you move away from the main highway toward Valdese. Because the highway share is 0 percent, you should prepare for more active steering and frequent turns on the local sections. You will not encounter long, uninterrupted stretches of road, so stay alert and ready for the shifting pace of the local pavement. This is a hands-on driving experience that rewards your full attention as you transition between the interstate and the final approach.
94% 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: 84.6 mi on I 40.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 40 and I 74. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 4.8 miles in near I 74.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 1m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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 14.5 miles (I 40): 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.
On the drive from High Point, NC to Valdese, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Statesville along the way.
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.
The longest stretch is about 84.6 miles on I 40. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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 14.5 miles (I 40): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Valdese, NC before heading back.
