Origin
Lexington, NC
Afternoon in Lexington on Sunday
Local time
4:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lexington, 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
29m
Distance
21.3 mi
34 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lexington, NC
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lexington, NC to Winston-Salem, NC is 21.3 miles and takes about 29 minutes via NC 8, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within North Carolina, connecting two cities in the Southeast region. It's a straightforward highway-focused drive, perfect for a quick hop between these neighboring towns. You won't need much time or fuel, making it an easy addition to a larger itinerary or a simple point-to-point journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NC 8 | 16.4 mi | 19m |
| Old US Hwy 52 | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| South Main Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Winston Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Salem Parkway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
NC 8
— 16.4 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lexington, NC and Winston-Salem, NC.
1
Start on South Main Street
0.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn left onto NC 8
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
3
Continue on NC 8
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Winston Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Continue on NC 8
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Old US Hwy 52
5
Take the ramp onto NC 8
16 mi
·
19 min
·
NC 8
Use the right lane.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 109B
Toward US 158 West, US 421 North: Salem Parkway
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto US 421; US 158; NC 150
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Salem Parkway
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 233A
Toward Main Street
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn slight right onto South Main Street
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
South Main Street
Use the straight lane.
10
Arrive at destination
North Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 20.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
NC 8 / Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Turn left onto NC 8 / Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
3.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
NC 8
Take the ramp onto NC 8
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
20.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward US 158 West, US 421 North: Salem Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 109B
Toward US 158 West, US 421 North: Salem Parkway
3
20.3 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
US 421; US 158; NC 150 / Salem Parkway
Merge onto US 421; US 158; NC 150 / Salem Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining
7
20.7 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Main Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 233A
Toward Main Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.33 one way
$6.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.64 | $7.28 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.94 | $7.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.70 | $9.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.86 | $0.85 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Afternoon in Winston-Salem on Sunday
Local time
4:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°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
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
29m 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?
This route is predominantly a highway drive, with 88% of it utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 16.4 miles on NC 8, offering a good opportunity to settle into a steady pace. The drive begins on South Main Street, transitioning to Old US Hwy 52 before merging onto NC 8. Expect a generally smooth and efficient journey, with the highway focus allowing for minimal interruptions as you travel between your starting and ending points.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.4 mi on NC 8.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NC 8 and Old US Hwy 52. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near NC 8 / Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
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 21.3 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 0.5 miles (NC 8 / Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (NC 8): Lane positioning matters here; at 20.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Lexington, NC
Full guide →Lexington, North Carolina, is the self-proclaimed "Barbecue Capital of the World". Besides its famous barbecue, celebrated at the annual Lexington Barbecue Festival in October, Lexington is also distinctive for all the statues of pigs it has downtown.
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 29m. Total distance: 21.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.4 miles on NC 8. 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 0.5 miles (NC 8 / Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles (NC 8): Lane positioning matters here; at 20.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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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