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Trip from Huntsville, AL to Madison, AL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

16m

Distance

11.6 mi

19 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 15m ★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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county seat of Madison County, Alabama, United States

Huntsville, AL

Wikimedia Commons

city in Alabama, United States

Madison, AL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling between Huntsville and Madison is a quick, straightforward journey covering just 11.6 miles. You can expect to complete this trip in about 16 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. The route primarily utilizes I-565, Madison Boulevard, and Hughes Road to navigate through the Southeast region. With a fuel budget of only $2, this is a highly economical and efficient drive. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a short excursion, the proximity of these two Alabama cities ensures a stress-free experience.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 565 5.6 mi 6m
Madison Boulevard 2.5 mi 3m
Hughes Road 1.3 mi 2m
Washington Street Northeast 0.5 mi <1m
Mill Road 0.3 mi <1m
West Side Square <0.1 mi <1m
East Side Square <0.1 mi <1m
South Side Square <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 565 — 5.6 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Huntsville, AL and Madison, AL.

1

Start on Spring Street Southwest

4 ft · 3 sec · Spring Street Southwest
2

Turn right onto West Side Square

376 ft · 16 sec · West Side Square
3

Continue on South Side Square

369 ft · 16 sec · South Side Square
4

Turn left onto East Side Square

371 ft · 9 sec · East Side Square
5

Continue on Washington Street Southeast

364 ft · 9 sec · Washington Street Southeast
6

Continue on Washington Street Northeast

0.5 mi · 53 sec · Washington Street Northeast
7

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 40 sec
8

Merge onto I 565; US 72 Alternate

5.6 mi · 6 min · I 565; US 72 Alternate
9

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 13 Toward Madison Boulevard
10

Continue on Madison Boulevard

2.5 mi · 3 min · Madison Boulevard
11

Turn right onto Hughes Road

1.3 mi · 2 min · Hughes Road
12

Turn left onto Mill Road

0.3 mi · 50 sec · Mill Road
13

Turn left onto Church Street

70 ft · 1 sec · Church Street
14

Arrive at destination

Church Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 11.6 — 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 | West Side Square

Turn right onto West Side Square

Navigation decision point

3
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | South Side Square

Continue onto South Side Square

Navigation decision point

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | East Side Square

Turn left onto East Side Square

Navigation decision point

5
6.7 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward Madison Boulevard

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 13 Toward Madison Boulevard
4
11.6 mi into trip | ~16m in | Church Street

Turn left onto Church Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.75 one way

$3.50 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.21 $1.92 $3.85
premium $4.56 $2.08 $4.16
diesel $5.61 $2.56 $5.12

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.5 0 $1.22 $0.56
Efficient EV 2.9 0 $1.02 $0.46
EV Truck/SUV 4.6 0 $1.62 $0.74

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 11, 2026

Origin

Huntsville, AL

Morning in Huntsville on Sunday

Local time

6:32 AM

CDT

Current temp

84°F

Sunny

0 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 11 at 10:57AM CDT until April 12 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Birmingham AL

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 11 at 10:52AM CDT until April 12 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Huntsville AL

Destination

Madison, AL

Morning in Madison on Sunday

Local time

6:32 AM

CDT

Current temp

83°F

Sunny

0 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 11 at 10:57AM CDT until April 12 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Birmingham AL

Fire Weather Watch

Fire Weather Watch issued April 11 at 10:52AM CDT until April 12 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Huntsville AL

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

16m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This mixed-drive route offers a balance of high-speed transit and local navigation. You will spend about 48% of your journey on highways, with your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 5.6 miles on I-565. The character of the drive shifts as you transition from the interstate onto Madison Boulevard and Hughes Road, moving from a faster pace into more localized traffic patterns. Expect a functional, no-nonsense drive that gets you from point A to point B without unnecessary complexity.

48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on I 565.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

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 West Side Square.

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 16m drive. You will face about 7 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 (West Side Square): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Side Square): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Side Square): Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

705 ft 617 ft

Total Climb

252 ft

Total Descent

191 ft

Highest Point

705 ft

~11.6 mi in

Elevation Range

89 ft

About the Cities

Starting in Huntsville, AL

Full guide →

Huntsville is in northern Alabama, about 20 miles (32 km) from the border with Tennessee. The city is a center for missile defense and aerospace technologies, with companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman having major operations here. Cummings Research Park, the second largest research park in the country, is home to many of these companies.

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 16m. Total distance: 11.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

16m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (48%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5.6 miles on I 565. 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 (West Side Square): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (South Side Square): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Side Square): Navigation decision point.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Madison, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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