Origin
Huntersville, NC
Night in Huntersville on Saturday
Local time
10:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Huntersville, NC to Hickory, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 6m
Distance
42.3 mi
68 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 1m
★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Huntersville, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Hickory, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 42.3-mile drive from Huntersville, NC, to Hickory, NC, is easily manageable in about 1 hour and 6 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily navigate via NC 16 and NC 73, with a portion on Gilead Road. With a projected fuel cost of around $7, this journey through the Southeast region is budget-friendly. The mixed drive profile suggests a varied experience, and since it's a short hop, you can be flexible with your departure time. It's an efficient way to connect these two North Carolina communities without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NC 16 | 19.4 mi | 26m |
| NC 73 | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| Gilead Road | 4.7 mi | 9m |
| Conover Boulevard East | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Tate Boulevard | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| Mount Olive Church Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| 1st Avenue Southeast | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Bethany Church Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
NC 16
— 19.4 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Huntersville, NC and Hickory, NC.
1
Start on NC 115
49 ft
·
6 sec
·
South Old Statesville Road
2
Turn left onto Gilead Road
3.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Gilead Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Turn straight onto Bud Henderson Road
526 ft
·
14 sec
·
Bud Henderson Road
4
Turn right onto Vance Road
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Vance Road
5
Continue on Gilead Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Gilead Road
6
At end of road, turn right onto Beatties Ford Road
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Beatties Ford Road
7
Turn left onto NC 73
5.1 mi
·
7 min
·
NC 73
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on NC 73
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
NC 73
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward NC 16 North: Newton
10
Merge onto NC 16
17 mi
·
22 min
·
NC 16
11
Turn right onto Bethany Church Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Bethany Church Road
12
Turn left onto Mount Olive Church Road
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Mount Olive Church Road
13
Continue on Mt Olive Church Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Mt Olive Church Road
14
Turn right onto NC 16
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
NC 16
15
Turn left onto US 70
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Conover Boulevard East
16
Continue on Tate Boulevard
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Tate Boulevard
17
Continue on 1st Avenue Southeast
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
1st Avenue Southeast
18
Turn right onto 3rd Street Southwest
347 ft
·
15 sec
·
3rd Street Southwest
19
Continue on 3rd Street Northwest
415 ft
·
20 sec
·
3rd Street Northwest
20
Turn right onto Trade Alley
338 ft
·
29 sec
·
Trade Alley
21
Turn left
153 ft
·
11 sec
22
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.1 miles from Huntersville, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 42.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Gilead Road
Turn left onto Gilead Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
3.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
Vance Road
Turn right onto Vance Road
Navigation decision point
5
5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
Beatties Ford Road
At end of road, turn right onto Beatties Ford Road
Navigation decision point
5
5.3 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
NC 73
Turn left onto NC 73
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
42.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
Trade Alley
Turn right onto Trade Alley
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.61 one way
$13.23 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $7.23 | $14.47 |
| premium | $4.70 | $7.83 | $15.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.34 | $18.68 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 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 | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
| Efficient EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.92 | $2.71 |
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
Hickory, NC
Night in Hickory on Saturday
Local time
10:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
74°F
Denver, NC
21 mi in
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
3 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
1h 6m 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 mixed drive on this route, with 59% of it being highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 19.4 miles on NC 16. This suggests you'll experience a blend of faster-paced highway driving and potentially some more local road sections as you progress. The road character will likely shift, offering a dynamic experience behind the wheel rather than a monotonous journey. You'll get a taste of both efficient travel and potentially more community-focused roads.
59% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.4 mi on NC 16.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Gilead Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 6m drive. You will face about 13 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 (Gilead Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (Vance Road): Navigation decision point; at 5 miles (Beatties Ford Road): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 6m. Total distance: 42.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (59%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.4 miles on NC 16. 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 (Gilead Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (Vance Road): Navigation decision point; at 5 miles (Beatties Ford Road): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Hickory, 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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