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Trip from Howton, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

25m

Distance

15.7 mi

25 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Howton, AL, AL

Howton, AL

Walls.io

Downtown Tuscaloosa, AL, AL

Tuscaloosa, AL

Kelly

Trip Overview

This quick 15.7-mile journey from Howton to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, takes about 25 minutes and is primarily a highway drive, with 80% of the route on main roads like AL 216 and Veterans Memorial Parkway. Given its short distance and duration, this trip is perfectly suited as a day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You can expect a low fuel cost of around $2 for this short hop within the Southeast region. The straightforward nature of this drive makes it an easy addition to any itinerary, offering a simple transit between your origin and destination.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
AL 216 9.9 mi 14m
Veterans Memorial Parkway 2.8 mi 4m
15th Street East 2.3 mi 4m
Greensboro Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
University Boulevard <0.1 mi <1m
Howton Loop Road <0.1 mi <1m
Brackner Drive <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: AL 216 — 9.9 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Howton, AL and Tuscaloosa, AL.

1

Start on Brackner Drive

73 ft · 7 sec · Brackner Drive
2

Turn left onto Howton Loop Road

203 ft · 11 sec · Howton Loop Road
3

Turn right onto AL 216

9.9 mi · 14 min · AL 216
4

Continue on AL 215

2.8 mi · 4 min · Veterans Memorial Parkway
5

Continue on AL 215

2.3 mi · 4 min · 15th Street East
Use the left / straight lanes.
6

Turn right onto Greensboro Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · Greensboro Avenue
7

Turn left onto University Boulevard

218 ft · 11 sec · University Boulevard
Use the left lane.
8

Turn right

132 ft · 9 sec
9

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Howton Loop Road

Turn left onto Howton Loop Road

Navigation decision point

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | AL 216

Turn right onto AL 216

Navigation decision point

3
14.9 mi into trip | ~23m in | Greensboro Avenue

Turn right onto Greensboro Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
15.6 mi into trip | ~24m in | University Boulevard

Turn left onto University Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
15.7 mi into trip | ~25m in

Turn right

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.37 one way

$4.74 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $2.60 $5.21
premium $4.56 $2.82 $5.64
diesel $5.61 $3.47 $6.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.7 0 $1.65 $0.75
Efficient EV 3.9 0 $1.37 $0.63
EV Truck/SUV 6.3 0 $2.20 $1.00

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.

Forecast as of Apr 19, 2026

Origin

Howton, AL

Afternoon in Howton on Tuesday

Local time

12:02 PM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Tuscaloosa, AL

Afternoon in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday

Local time

12:02 PM

CDT

Current temp

60°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

1 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

25m 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 highway-focused experience for most of this 15.7-mile drive. With 80% of the route utilizing main roads, you'll encounter a good amount of faster-paced driving. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is 9.9 miles along AL 216, offering a consistent flow. The transition onto Veterans Memorial Parkway and then 15th Street East will likely bring you into more developed areas as you approach Tuscaloosa, providing a clear sense of progression without significant changes in road type.

80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on AL 216.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on AL 216 and Veterans Memorial Parkway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Howton Loop Road.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 25m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Howton Loop Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (AL 216): Navigation decision point; at 14.9 miles (Greensboro Avenue): Navigation decision point.

About the Cities

Arriving in Tuscaloosa, AL

Full guide →

Tuscaloosa is a city of over 100,000 people (2020) in Metropolitan Alabama and home of the University of Alabama.

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 25m. Total distance: 15.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (80%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 9.9 miles on AL 216. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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: near the start (Howton Loop Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (AL 216): Navigation decision point; at 14.9 miles (Greensboro Avenue): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Tuscaloosa, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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