Origin
Pell City, AL
Morning in Pell City on Sunday
Local time
9:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pell City, AL to Birmingham, AL
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
34.3 mi
55 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pell City, AL
Wikimedia Commons
Birmingham, AL
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 34.3-mile drive from Pell City to Birmingham, Alabama, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 35 minutes. With no highway driving involved, it's a local road experience from start to finish. Budget around $5 for fuel for this short journey, which is perfectly suited as a single-day excursion. It's a simple hop between two locations within the Southeast region, making it an easy addition to any itinerary in the area.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 20 | 27.9 mi | 30m |
| 1st Avenue North | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| Martin Street | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| 24th Street North | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Comer Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Cogswell Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 64th Street South | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 20
— 27.9 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pell City, AL and Birmingham, AL.
1
Start on US 78
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Cogswell Avenue
2
Turn left onto Comer Avenue
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Comer Avenue
3
Turn left onto US 231
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Martin Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Use the slight right lane.
5
Merge onto I 20
28 mi
·
30 min
·
I 20
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 130B
Toward 1st Avenue South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on 64th Street South
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
64th Street South
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn left onto US 11
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
1st Avenue North
9
Turn right onto 24th Street North
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
24th Street North
10
Arrive at destination
24th Street North
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 34.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Comer Avenue
Turn left onto Comer Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
1.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 20
Merge onto I 20
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
29.8 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward 1st Avenue South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 130B
Toward 1st Avenue South
4
34.1 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
24th Street North
Turn right onto 24th Street North
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.18 one way
$10.36 round trip
$3.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.21 | $5.69 | $11.37 |
| premium | $4.56 | $6.16 | $12.31 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.57 | $15.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.65 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Birmingham, AL
Morning in Birmingham on Sunday
Local time
9:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
49°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
30 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
41m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this route, utilizing roads like Comer Avenue and 1st Avenue South. With a 0% highway share, this isn't about covering long distances quickly. Instead, you'll navigate through local streets, so be prepared for frequent turns and a more engaged driving experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch is not a significant factor here, as the focus is on navigating the local network.
81% 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: 27.9 mi on I 20.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 20 and 1st Avenue North. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Comer Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 41m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Comer Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (I 20): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Pell City, AL to Birmingham, AL, road signs begin pointing toward 1St Avenue South along the way.
1St Avenue South
29.8 mi in
|
~34m
About the Cities
Arriving in Birmingham, AL
Full guide →Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama, and its cultural and economic nucleus. While it's best remembered as the site of protest, bombings, and other racial tumult during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, visitors to the Birmingham of today will find a pleasant green city of ridges, valleys, attractive views, and friendly, hospitable people.
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 41m. Total distance: 34.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27.9 miles on I 20. 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 0.2 miles (Comer Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (I 20): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument and Freedom Riders National Monument. 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 Birmingham, AL 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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