Origin
King, NC
Late night in King on Sunday
Local time
12:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from King, NC to Winston-Salem, NC
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
16 mi
26 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
King, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 16-mile drive from King, NC, to Winston-Salem, NC, will take you about 22 minutes to complete. With 85% of the journey on highways, it's a quick and efficient trip, perfect for a single day. You'll primarily be on the John Gold Memorial Expressway, North Main Street, and East 5th Street. The estimated fuel cost for this route is a very manageable $3, making it an economical option. Since it's such a brief journey, you won't need an overnight stay, allowing for maximum flexibility in your schedule. Both your origin and destination are within the Southeast region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John Gold Memorial Expressway | 13.2 mi | 15m |
| North Main Street | 1.6 mi | 4m |
| East 5th Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Research Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John Gold Memorial Expressway
— 13.2 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between King, NC and Winston-Salem, NC.
1
Start on North Main Street
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
North Main Street
2
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
3
Merge onto US 52
3.9 mi
·
4 min
·
John Gold Memorial Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight right at fork onto US 52
9.2 mi
·
11 min
·
John Gold Memorial Expressway
Exit 119
Toward US 52 South: Winston-Salem
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 110B
Toward US 311 North: Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on North Research Parkway
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
North Research Parkway
7
Turn right onto East 5th Street
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
East 5th Street
8
Turn left onto North Main Street
67 ft
·
1 sec
·
North Main Street
9
Arrive at destination
North Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 15.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
1.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 52 / John Gold Memorial Expressway
Merge onto US 52 / John Gold Memorial Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
5.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 52 / John Gold Memorial Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 52 / John Gold Memorial Expressway toward US 52 South: Winston-Salem
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 119
Toward US 52 South: Winston-Salem
8
15.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward US 311 North: Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 110B
Toward US 311 North: Martin Luther King Jr Driv...
4
15.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
North Main Street
Turn left onto North Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.50 one way
$5.00 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $2.74 | $5.47 |
| premium | $4.70 | $2.96 | $5.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.53 | $7.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Winston-Salem, NC
Late night in Winston-Salem on Sunday
Local time
12:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°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
4 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
22m 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 the majority of this 16-mile trip, with 85% of the drive utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.2 miles, primarily on the John Gold Memorial Expressway. This suggests a consistent pace for a significant portion of your journey. As you transition from the expressway to North Main Street and then East 5th Street, you'll likely notice a shift in the driving environment, moving from faster highway speeds to more local road conditions as you approach Winston-Salem. The overall profile is one of efficiency and direct travel.
85% 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: 13.2 mi on John Gold Memorial Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on John Gold Memorial Expressway and North Main Street. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 16 miles you will encounter 6 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles (US 52 / John Gold Memorial Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles (US 52 / John Gold Memorial Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
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 King, NC to Winston-Salem, NC, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
Downtown
15.1 mi in
|
~20m
About the Cities
Arriving in Winston-Salem, NC
Full guide →Winston-Salem is a city in North Carolina. It has an approximate population of 251,000 (2022). Winston-Salem is one of three cities that make up the Piedmont Triad; the others are Greensboro and High Point.
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 22m. Total distance: 16 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.2 miles on John Gold Memorial Expressway. 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: at 1.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 1.9 miles (US 52 / John Gold Memorial Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles (US 52 / John Gold Memorial Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Winston-Salem, 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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