Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
19.4 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Morgantown, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Fairmont, WV
Wikimedia Commons
If you are planning a quick excursion between Morgantown and Fairmont, West Virginia, this 19.4-mile trip is an ideal candidate for a single-day journey. You can expect to spend approximately 25 minutes behind the wheel, making it a highly efficient connection within the Southeast region. Budgeting about $3 for fuel should comfortably cover your needs for the entire trek. Because the transit time is so brief, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or complex logistics. It is a straightforward, practical drive that serves as a seamless link between these two West Virginia hubs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Jennings Randolph Highway | 12.4 mi | 13m |
| Don Knotts Boulevard | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| University Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Fairmont Gateway Connector | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| I 68 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Jefferson Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| High Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Kirk Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Morgantown, WV and Fairmont, WV.
Start on High Street
Turn right onto Kirk Street
At end of road, turn left onto US 119
Continue on US 119
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 68
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 79
Take the exit
Turn left onto WV 273
Enter roundabout onto WV 273
Continue on WV 273
Enter roundabout onto WV 273
Continue on WV 273
Continue on Jefferson Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 18.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Kirk Street
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn left onto US 119 / University Avenue
Navigation decision point
Keep slight left at fork toward I-79 S: Fairmont
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Take the exit toward WV 273 North: Downtown, Fairmont
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Enter roundabout onto WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Regular Gas
$3.03 one way
$6.07 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $3.32 | $6.63 |
| premium | $4.70 | $3.59 | $7.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.28 | $8.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 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 | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.70 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Morgantown on Sunday
Local time
6:07 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Morning in Fairmont on Sunday
Local time
6:07 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Partly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
Expect a turn-heavy local driving experience as you navigate your way between these two cities. With only about 2% of the total distance spent on highways, you will spend the vast majority of your time on local streets like University Avenue and Don Knotts Boulevard. The most significant portion of the trip is a 12.4-mile stretch along the Senator Jennings Randolph Highway, which provides the only real break from the frequent turns of the local roads. This route is defined by its local character rather than a high-speed interstate grind, so stay alert for the constant changes in road geometry.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Kirk Street.
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 19.4 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (Kirk Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (US 119 / University Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,138 ft
Total Descent
1,036 ft
Highest Point
1,281 ft
~3.2 mi in
Elevation Range
440 ft
Morgantown is the third largest city in West Virginia, and is the county seat of Monongalia County. It is home to West Virginia University, the state's flagship public university and university with the largest student body in the state. The city has 30,347 residents (2020). As the largest city in the northern half of West Virginia, and sitting at the junction of I-79 and I-68, Morgantown serves as a major regional cultural center and hub for business, medicine, shopping and dining.
Fairmont, nicknamed the "Friendly City", is a city of 18,313 people (as of 2020) in West Virginia, and the county seat of Marion County (pop. 56,000). It was established in 1820 as Middletown, and changed in 1843 to Fairmont, short for "Fair Mountain". The city is located on the Monongahela River at its origin at the confluence of the Tygart Valley River flowing northwest from Grafton, and the West Fork River flowing north from Clarksburg. Fairmont claims to be the origin of the Pepperoni Roll, West Virginia's official state food. Mary Lou Retton — a gold-medalist gymnast in the 1984 Olympics, who was highly popular around the country and particularly in West Virginia — came from Fairmont.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 19.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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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