Origin
Parkersburg, WV
Morning in Parkersburg on Sunday
Local time
6:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Parkersburg, WV to Fairmont, WV
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 54m
Distance
95.1 mi
153 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 47m
★
6 AM
1h 55m
8 AM
2h 12m
10 AM
2h 1m
12 PM
1h 59m
3 PM
2h 2m
5 PM
2h 11m
8 PM
1h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Parkersburg, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Fairmont, WV
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Parkersburg, WV to Fairmont, WV is 95.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 54 minutes via Corridor D, with a fuel budget near $15 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within West Virginia, connecting two points in the Southeast region. Expect a drive that involves frequent turns, making it more of a local feel than a high-speed transit. With a recommended one-day duration and minimal fuel cost, this route is a straightforward option for getting between these two cities.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
47.5 miles from Parkersburg, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 57m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Corridor D | 75.3 mi | 1h 28m |
| Senator Jennings Randolph Highway | 16.1 mi | 17m |
| Fairmont Gateway Connector | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| 5th Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Jefferson Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 6th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Juliana Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Green Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Corridor D
— 75.3 mi, about 1h 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Parkersburg, WV and Fairmont, WV.
1
Start on WV 68; WV 618
449 ft
·
21 sec
·
Juliana Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
2
Turn right onto 6th Street
0.2 mi
·
50 sec
·
6th Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto Green Street
363 ft
·
19 sec
·
Green Street
4
Turn left onto WV 14
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
5th Street
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
6
Merge onto US 50
75 mi
·
1 hr 28 min
·
Corridor D
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 79 North
8
Merge onto I 79
16 mi
·
17 min
·
Senator Jennings Randolph Highway
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward WV 273 North: Downtown, Fairmont
10
Turn left onto WV 273
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
11
Enter roundabout onto WV 273
122 ft
·
2 sec
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
12
Continue on WV 273
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
13
Enter roundabout onto WV 273
128 ft
·
3 sec
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
14
Continue on WV 273
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Fairmont Gateway Connector
15
Continue on Jefferson Street
0.3 mi
·
57 sec
·
Jefferson Street
16
Arrive at destination
Jefferson Street
Trip Plan
Given the relatively short duration of under two hours, this trip is easily completed in a single day, offering flexibility in your departure time. You won't need to worry extensively about fuel stops, as the estimated cost is only around $15 for the 95.1 miles. The 'turn-heavy' nature of the route means keeping an eye on your GPS or map is key to staying on track. Plan for a departure that allows you to arrive in Fairmont with ample time to settle in, as there are no designated stops recommended along this 95.1-mile journey.
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 47.5 miles from Parkersburg, WV, or about 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 75.3 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 21 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 47.5 miles or 57m 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 33m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Fairmont, WV than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Parkersburg, WV so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Parkersburg, WV
This is one driving day of about 95.1 miles and 1h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Parkersburg, WV.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Corridor D for about 75.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
48 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 21 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 47.5 miles from Parkersburg, WV, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Corridor D if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 75.3 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 94.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
6th Street
Turn right onto 6th Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Green Street
At end of road, turn right onto Green Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
WV 14 / 5th Street
Turn left onto WV 14 / 5th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
93.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 50m in
Take the exit toward WV 273 North: Downtown, Fairmont
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward WV 273 North: Downtown, Fairmont
5
94.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 53m in
|
WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector
Enter roundabout onto WV 273 / Fairmont Gateway Connector
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.87 one way
$29.74 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
33 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.34 | $16.26 | $32.52 |
| premium | $4.70 | $17.60 | $35.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $21.00 | $41.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$15
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$40–$65
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 33.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 28.5 | 0 | $9.99 | $4.56 |
| Efficient EV | 23.8 | 0 | $8.32 | $3.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 38 | 0 | $13.31 | $6.09 |
Gas CO2
33 kg
EV CO2
11 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
Fairmont, WV
Morning in Fairmont on Sunday
Local time
6:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
47°F
Salem, WV
48 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
12 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
1h 54m 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 is a turn-heavy local drive, with no highway share to speak of, meaning you'll be navigating a series of local roads and connectors rather than a continuous interstate. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 75.3 miles on Corridor D. The drive's character suggests a pace that requires attention to navigation as you transition between various segments, including the Senator Jennings Randolph Highway and the Fairmont Gateway Connector.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 75.3 mi on Corridor D.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near 6th Street.
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 1h 54m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Green Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (WV 14 / 5th Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Parkersburg, WV
Full guide →Parkersburg is a city of 30,000 people (as of 2018) in West Virginia. It was known as "Newport" when it was founded, later to be renamed Parkersburg in 1810. The city sits where the Little Kanawha River meets the Ohio river; the town of Belpre lies just across the river in Ohio. Among Parkersburg's more famous residents is Morgan Spurlock, director of the 2004 film Super Size Me; the city's film connections continued with the 2006 film Bubble, which was filmed in the area and starred local residents. The area also has a long history with oil drilling, and is the home of the first documented commercial use of oil in the US.
Arriving in Fairmont, WV
Full guide →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).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 54m. Total distance: 95.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 75.3 miles on Corridor D. 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.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through WV can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (6th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (Green Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.4 miles (WV 14 / 5th Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fairmont, WV 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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