This 82.4-mile drive from Leland, NC to Fayetteville, NC is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 52 minutes. With 85% of the journey on highways, it's a direct route focused on efficient travel. The estimated fuel cost is around $13, making it an economical option for a single-day excursion. You'll be traveling within the Southeast region throughout this drive. Given its manageable length and duration, this route is perfectly suited for a day trip, allowing you to arrive at your destination with plenty of time left in your day.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
41.2 miles from Leland, NC
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 56m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
NC 87
70.3 mi
1h 35m
Andrew Jackson Highway
9.3 mi
12m
Gillespie Street
1 mi
1m
Leland School Road Northeast
0.6 mi
1m
Mount Misery Road Northeast
0.3 mi
<1m
Village Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Post Office Road Northeast
<0.1 mi
<1m
Lincoln Road Northeast
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
NC 87
— 70.3 mi, about 1h 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Leland, NC and Fayetteville, NC.
1
Start on Post Office Road Northeast
282 ft·13 sec·Post Office Road Northeast
2
Turn right onto Lincoln Road Northeast
272 ft·12 sec·Lincoln Road Northeast
3
Turn right onto Village Road
0.2 mi·19 sec·Village Road
4
Turn right onto Leland School Road Northeast
0.6 mi·1 min·Leland School Road Northeast
5
At end of road, turn left onto Mount Misery Road Northeast
0.3 mi·26 sec·Mount Misery Road Northeast
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·36 sec
7
Merge onto US 74; US 76
9.3 mi·12 min·Andrew Jackson Highway
8
Take the exit onto NC 87
70 mi·1 hr 35 min·NC 87
Use the left lane.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi·32 sec
10
Turn left onto Gillespie Street
1.0 mi·1 min·Gillespie Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Enter roundabout onto Market Square
253 ft·4 sec·Market Square
12
Arrive at destination
Market Square
Trip Plan
For this relatively short 1 hour and 52-minute drive, you have the flexibility to depart at your convenience. Leaving Leland, NC in the morning will get you to Fayetteville, NC with ample daylight. With no mandatory stops indicated and a fuel cost of approximately $13, you can easily manage your breaks and expenses. A practical tip for this route is to be aware of the transition onto Gillespie Street as you enter Fayetteville, as this marks a shift from highway speeds to more urban conditions. Ensure you have sufficient fuel before departing, as the longest stretch without a significant change in road type is over 70 miles.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 41.2 miles from Leland, NC, or about 56m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 70.3 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 18 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 41.2 miles or 56m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 35m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fayetteville, NC than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Leland, NC so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Leland, NC
This is one driving day of about 82.4 miles and 1h 52m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Leland, NC.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on NC 87 for about 70.3 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 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 82.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Lincoln Road Northeast
Turn right onto Lincoln Road Northeast
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Village Road
Turn right onto Village Road
Navigation decision point
5
10.8 mi into trip|~15m in|NC 87
Take the exit onto NC 87
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
81.3 mi into trip|~1h 51m in|Gillespie Street
Turn left onto Gillespie Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
82.3 mi into trip|~1h 52m in|Market Square
Enter roundabout onto Market Square
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.89 one way
$25.77 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg29 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$14.09
$28.18
premium
$4.70
$15.25
$30.50
diesel
$5.61
$18.19
$36.39
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 28.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
24.7
0
$8.65
$3.96
Efficient EV
20.6
0
$7.21
$3.30
EV Truck/SUV
33
0
$11.54
$5.27
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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 15, 2026
Origin
Leland, NC
Morning
in Leland on Sunday
Local time
6:22 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Fayetteville, NC
Morning
in Fayetteville on Sunday
Local time
6:22 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
58°F
Elizabethtown, NC
41 mi in
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
22 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 52m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Moores Creek National Battlefield
National Battlefield
In the early morning hours of February 27, 1776, Loyalist forces charged across a partially dismantled Moores Creek Bridge. Beyond the bridge, nearly 1,000 North Carolina Patriots waited quietly with...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
Free
near mile 14.2
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highway-focused experience for the majority of this 82.4-mile trip, with 85% of the drive on faster roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch covers 70.3 miles primarily on NC 87, offering a consistent pace. You'll navigate primarily via NC 87 and Andrew Jackson Highway before transitioning to Gillespie Street as you approach Fayetteville. This profile suggests a drive characterized by steady progress rather than winding backroads.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 70.3 mi on NC 87.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NC 87 and Andrew Jackson Highway. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Lincoln Road Northeast.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Leland, NC to Fayetteville, NC is easy. At 1h 52m with 85% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Lincoln Road Northeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Village Road): Navigation decision point; at 10.8 miles (NC 87): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Fayetteville is a city in Cumberland County, in the western part of the North Carolina Coastal Plain region. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg/Liberty/Bragg (the name of which changed thrice in as many years,) a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city.
Fayetteville has received the prestigious All-America City Award from the National Civic League three times. According to the 2020 United States Census estimate, the city has a population of 208,501. It ranks as the sixth-largest municipality in North Carolina.
With an estimated population of 529,252, the Fayetteville metropolitan area is the largest in southeastern North Carolina, and the fifth-largest in the state.
The longest stretch is about 70.3 miles on NC 87. 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 0.1 miles (Lincoln Road Northeast): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Village Road): Navigation decision point; at 10.8 miles (NC 87): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Moores Creek National Battlefield. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fayetteville, NC before heading back.
