This 190.7-mile drive from Homewood, AL to Dothan, AL is a straightforward, highway-focused trip that can easily be completed in under four hours. With a projected fuel cost of around $29, it's an economical option for a single-day excursion. The route primarily utilizes I-65 and US 231, making it a practical choice if you're looking for efficiency. Given its manageable distance and duration, this trip is ideal for a day trip, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stay. You'll be traveling within the Southeast region for the entirety of your journey.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
95.4 miles from Homewood, AL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 52m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 65
84.5 mi
1h 32m
US 231
62 mi
1h 22m
Troy Highway
34.7 mi
41m
I 85
2.7 mi
3m
McGehee Road
1.4 mi
2m
Zelda Road
1.1 mi
2m
Carter Hill Road
1.1 mi
2m
North Saint Andrews Street
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 65
— 84.5 mi, about 1h 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Homewood, AL and Dothan, AL.
1
Start on Roseland Drive
0.1 mi·27 sec·Roseland Drive
2
Keep slight right at fork onto Roseland Drive
0.3 mi·1 min·Roseland Drive
3
At end of road, turn right onto Broadway Street
154 ft·12 sec·Broadway Street
4
Turn left onto College Avenue
0.2 mi·46 sec·College Avenue
5
Turn left onto Oxmoor Road
0.2 mi·31 sec·Oxmoor Road
6
Turn slight right
0.2 mi·46 sec
7
Turn straight onto Palisades Boulevard
0.3 mi·34 sec·Palisades Boulevard
8
Continue on Oxmoor Road
0.3 mi·34 sec·Oxmoor Road
9
Take the ramp
502 ft·19 sec
Toward I 65 South: Montgomery
10
Turn left
0.2 mi·31 sec
Toward I 65 South: Montgomery
11
Merge onto I 65
84 mi·1 hr 32 min·I 65
12
Take the exit
393 ft·9 sec
Exit 171Toward I-85 North: Atlanta
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi·25 sec
Toward I 85 North: Atlanta
14
Continue on I 85
2.7 mi·3 min·I 85
Use the straight lane.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·34 sec
Exit 3Toward Ann StreetUse the slight right lane.
16
Turn right onto Ann Street
436 ft·8 sec·Ann Street
17
Keep slight left at fork onto Zelda Road
1.1 mi·2 min·Zelda Road
18
Continue on Carter Hill Road
1.1 mi·2 min·Carter Hill Road
19
Turn left onto McGehee Road
1.4 mi·2 min·McGehee Road
20
Continue on US 82; US 231
35 mi·41 min·Troy Highway
Use the straight lane.
21
Continue on US 231
7.7 mi·9 min·US 231
Use the right lane.
22
Continue on US 231; AL 10
0.1 mi·9 sec·US 231; AL 10
23
Continue on US 231; AL 10
2.0 mi·3 min·US 231; AL 10
Use the right lane.
24
Continue on US 231; AL 10
7.6 mi·10 min·US 231; AL 10
Use the straight / right lanes.
25
Continue on US 231; AL 10
38 mi·47 min·US 231; AL 10
Use the right lane.
26
Continue on US 231
6.2 mi·11 min·US 231
Use the straight lane.
27
Turn left onto West Powell Street
0.1 mi·23 sec·West Powell Street
28
Turn right onto North Saint Andrews Street
0.5 mi·1 min·North Saint Andrews Street
29
Turn left onto US 84 Business; AL 52
111 ft·3 sec·East Main Street
30
Arrive at destination
US 84 Business; AL 52
Trip Plan
Consider an early morning departure from Homewood to maximize your daylight and avoid potential traffic. With a total duration of 3 hours and 55 minutes, you'll have plenty of flexibility for one planned stop, but keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially during the 84.5-mile segment on I-65. This is a drive best suited for a single day, so no need to plan for an overnight split. A practical tip for this route: familiarize yourself with the transition from I-65 to US 231 as this is where the road character will likely change.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 95.4 miles from Homewood, AL, or about 1h 52m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 84.5 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 42 miles or 49m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 95.4 miles or 1h 52m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 8m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Dothan, AL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Homewood, AL 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 Homewood, AL
This is one driving day of about 190.7 miles and 3h 55m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 42 miles from Homewood, AL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 65 for about 84.5 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 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 89.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Roseland Drive
Keep slight right at fork onto Roseland Drive
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|Broadway Street
At end of road, turn right onto Broadway Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.5 mi into trip|~1m in|College Avenue
Turn left onto College Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
86.5 mi into trip|~1h 38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 85 North: Atlanta
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 85 North: Atlanta
7
89.5 mi into trip|~1h 42m in
Take the exit toward Ann Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 3
Toward Ann Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$28.80 one way
$57.60 round trip
$3.84/gal25.4 MPG avg67 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.21
$31.62
$63.23
premium
$4.56
$34.23
$68.46
diesel
$5.61
$42.10
$84.21
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$29
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 66.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $20 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
57.2
0
$20.02
$9.15
Efficient EV
47.7
0
$16.69
$7.63
EV Truck/SUV
76.3
0
$26.70
$12.20
Gas CO2
67 kg
EV CO2
22 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 18, 2026
Origin
Homewood, AL
Late night
in Homewood on Tuesday
Local time
5:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms
NW 10 to 20 mph80% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Dothan, AL
Late night
in Dothan on Tuesday
Local time
5:21 AM
CDT
Current temp
85°F
Partly Sunny
SSW 10 mph0% chanceLive forecast
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
37 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
3h 55m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
National Monument
In 1963, images of snarling police dogs unleashed against non-violent protesters and of children being sprayed with high-pressure hoses appeared in print and television news around the world. These dr...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a predominantly highway-focused drive, with 78% of the journey taking place on major roadways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 84.5 miles on I-65, offering a consistent pace. As you transition to US 231 and Troy Highway, the road character may shift, but the overall feel remains geared towards efficient travel. This route prioritizes getting you from point A to point B smoothly, rather than offering winding scenic byways. The longest uninterrupted stretch on I-65 means you can settle in for a good portion of the drive.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 84.5 mi on I 65.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 65 and US 231. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Roseland Drive.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 16 significant decision points across 190.7 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Roseland Drive): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.4 miles (Broadway Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (College Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Dothan is a city in southeastern Alabama, serving as the county seat of Houston County, and the chief city of the western Wiregrass region, an area encompassing portions of southeastern Alabama, southwestern Georgia, and the panhandle of Florida. Its population in 2018 was about 68,000, making it the largest metropolitan area in southeastern Alabama.
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 55m. Total distance: 190.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 84.5 miles on I 65. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 7 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Dothan, AL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 7 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Roseland Drive): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.4 miles (Broadway Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (College Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.9 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.9 hours — manageable with a long break at Dothan, AL, but most travelers stay overnight.
