Petersburg to Fairmont is 93.9 miles and takes about 2 hours 33 minutes via George Washington Highway, with a fuel budget near $15 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This single-day trip takes you across West Virginia's Southeast region, offering a mixed drive experience. You'll primarily travel on George Washington Highway, WV 42, and WV 310. With a relatively short duration and moderate fuel cost, this route is a practical choice for a quick journey between these two points.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
46.9 miles from Petersburg, WV
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 12m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
George Washington Highway
52.1 mi
1h 19m
WV 42
25.4 mi
40m
WV 310
10.1 mi
18m
Turner Road
1.6 mi
6m
Fetterman Hollow Road
1.2 mi
3m
Victory Avenue
1 mi
1m
East Park Avenue
1 mi
2m
Keyser Avenue
0.5 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
George Washington Highway
— 52.1 mi, about 1h 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Petersburg, WV and Fairmont, WV.
1
Start on US 220; WV 28; WV 55
70 ft·3 sec·Virginia Avenue
2
Turn right onto WV 28; WV 55
0.3 mi·30 sec·North Main Street
3
Continue on WV 28; WV 55
0.5 mi·43 sec·Keyser Avenue
4
Turn slight right onto WV 42
25 mi·40 min·WV 42
5
Turn left onto US 50
52 mi·1 hr 19 min·George Washington Highway
6
Turn right onto US 119
1.0 mi·1 min·Victory Avenue
7
Turn left onto CR 119/19
153 ft·5 sec·Fetterman Hollow Road
8
Continue on CR 119/19
1.2 mi·2 min·Fetterman Hollow Road
9
Turn left onto CR 5/5
1.6 mi·6 min·Turner Road
10
Turn right onto WV 310
10 mi·18 min·WV 310
11
Turn left onto WV 310
1.0 mi·2 min·East Park Avenue
12
Continue on WV 310
0.2 mi·35 sec·Merchant Street
13
Turn right onto Jefferson Street
0.3 mi·57 sec·Jefferson Street
14
Arrive at destination
Jefferson Street
Trip Plan
Given the drive's duration of under three hours, you have the flexibility to depart at your leisure. Plan to leave Petersburg in the morning to allow ample time for the 93.9-mile journey and any unforeseen delays. The fuel cost is estimated at just $15, so you likely won't need to worry about finding a gas station unless you're running on fumes. Keep an eye out for the transitions between George Washington Highway and WV 42, as this is where the road character will likely change the most.
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 46.9 miles from Petersburg, WV, or about 1h 12m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 52.1 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 33m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 46.9 miles or 1h 12m 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 58m
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 Petersburg, WV so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Petersburg, WV
This is one driving day of about 93.9 miles and 2h 33m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Petersburg, WV.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on George Washington Highway for about 52.1 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 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 80.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|WV 28; WV 55 / North Main Street
Turn right onto WV 28; WV 55 / North Main Street
Navigation decision point
3
26.2 mi into trip|~41m in|US 50 / George Washington Highway
Turn left onto US 50 / George Washington Highway
Navigation decision point
3
78.3 mi into trip|~2h in|US 119 / Victory Avenue
Turn right onto US 119 / Victory Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
79.3 mi into trip|~2h 1m in|CR 119/19 / Fetterman Hollow Road
Turn left onto CR 119/19 / Fetterman Hollow Road
Navigation decision point
3
80.6 mi into trip|~2h 4m in|CR 5/5 / Turner Road
Turn left onto CR 5/5 / Turner Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.68 one way
$29.37 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg33 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.34
$16.06
$32.11
premium
$4.70
$17.38
$34.76
diesel
$5.61
$20.73
$41.46
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: 32.9 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
28.2
0
$9.86
$4.51
Efficient EV
23.5
0
$8.22
$3.76
EV Truck/SUV
37.6
0
$13.15
$6.01
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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Petersburg, WV
Morning
in Petersburg on Sunday
Local time
8:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Fairmont, WV
Morning
in Fairmont on Sunday
Local time
8:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
20 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
2h 33m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive features a mixed profile, with 38% highway driving. You'll experience a long, uninterrupted stretch of 52.1 miles on George Washington Highway, which likely offers a consistent pace. The route then transitions to WV 42 and WV 310, suggesting a shift to more local road conditions. Expect a blend of faster highway sections and potentially more winding or slower-paced segments as you navigate through the West Virginia landscape. The overall drive is designed to be completed within a reasonable timeframe.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 52.1 mi on George Washington Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near WV 28; WV 55 / North Main Street.
Driving Effort2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Petersburg, WV to Fairmont, WV is easy. At 2h 33m with 38% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (WV 28; WV 55 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 26.2 miles (US 50 / George Washington Highway): Navigation decision point; at 78.3 miles (US 119 / Victory Avenue): Navigation decision point.
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.
The longest stretch is about 52.1 miles on George Washington Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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: near the start (WV 28; WV 55 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 26.2 miles (US 50 / George Washington Highway): Navigation decision point; at 78.3 miles (US 119 / Victory Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fairmont, WV before heading back.
